Stormy Skies
by bambi726
Summary: The Academy. The very last Itex plant. Only Max and the flock can stop it, but only if they can destroy it before Itex succeeds in turning everyone to their side, and they have a plan more sinister than By-Half.
1. Prologue

**Ok so this is my first fanfic. Please tell me if it's horrible…on second thought I'd rather you just stopped reading if you hate it. Just for starters this is written from Misty's point of view. The flock will show up in the next chapter. The "Academy" (the very last Itex related company not destroyed) will show up later along with more avian hybrids.**

**Disclaimer: I am not, nor will I ever be James Patterson. For starters I'm a girl…**

**On with the story! **

I fingered the locket then carefully undid the clasp. It was a fitting thing to leave for my parents. My uncle Jeb had given it to me when I was found on my parent's doorstep after being missing for the first six months of my life.

I don't really know much about what happened. No one does, and my parents were content to leave it in the past (mostly because they were accused of being bad parents for not watching me better). All I know is that I was stolen from my crib and mysteriously returned six months later. When I turned eight, my parents agreed to let me legally change my. They changed theirs too (that publicity thing again). Anyway from that point on my life had been normal.

Until now.

I picked up the locket and refasten it around my neck. It meant more to me then to my parents. _A silver heart with wings, how fitting._ As I slung my bag over my shoulder, reality caught up with me. I was really leaving. I sat down on the edge of my bed. I didn't cry. As horrible as it sounds I knew my parents wouldn't miss me. They hadn't wanted a kid. Besides, I'd already wasted all my tears on friends, my cat, ect. _Maybe they would understand._ I thought for maybe the millionth time. No, my parents would never understand. Hello zoo. As much as I wanted to stay, I knew I had to go.

Taking one shaky breath, I threw open the window. The cool breeze played over my face. My fears were calmed for a second. I was ok, everything would be ok now. I climbed out the window and jumped off the ledge.

I flew.

**How was that? I know it's super short, but it's just the prologue. To be clear her wings just started growing one day, that's why she's running away now. I'll explain why later (as soon as I figure out a good reason…) Anyway Read & Review…pretty please?**


	2. Chapter 1

**I was gonna update on wednesday, but there was a tornado warning so I got stuck in the closet with my cat, dog, sister, and her friend. Of course I forgot the laptop. Then yesterday I had chores bleh. Anyway this takes place after ****The Final Warning. ****You know how at the end the Voice tells Max she has another mission? That's where this starts, when they reach the coordinates. Thanks to ArrowFey for adding this to their favorite stories. Thanks to for an alert and reveiw. Big thanks to Evilhunterperson for the awesome review and adding me to both favorite authors and favorite stories.**

**Disclaimer: Bambi is not James Patterson.**

**Max POV**

_So...Voice? Are you this is the right place. I mean nothing catastrophic happening here. No world saving or whatever needed._

_Relax everything will work out. Being a few days early is good. Patience is an important quality. _Does thirteen really count as a few? No? Didn't think so. Forget Voice I had better things to do like...um...whatever I'll think of something.

"Max I'm hungry," Nudge said, trying her hardest not to whine.

"Ok, lets go to that town down the hill. We'll stop at a fast food place. Come on guys!" I beckoned to the rest of the flock then jumped out of the cave that was convienently set up high in a mountain that was basicly impossible to get to unless you could fly.

_No Max, you have a mission._ Oh NOW it decides to tell me what the heck we were doing here when were actually doing something.

_Can it wait? We waited thirteen days, it can wait for us. Fair is fair._

_Life isn't fair, you should know that by now. Look behind you_. I turned, already preparing to fight whatever was behind us. Turns out all that was there was a giant sloppy bird_._

_Not a bird, follow it. This is crucial to the mission_. What was it? Another bird kid? As far as I knew we were the only remaining experiments other than the ones in Germany, but none of those had been bird kids. I sighed. Oh well I guess I had to go find out.

"Strange flying thing behind us! Voice says we have to follow it!" I yelled to the flock.

"It looks like the Erasers that had their wings grafted on, but smaller," Angel said. Huh. She was right. Oh please don't let it be a new super Eraser or something.

"Yeah keep quiet and stay about a mile away." We flew quietly making sure to stay far away in case it had super vision, but it never turned around. After about an hour it started to drop. I assumed it was trying to land based on how it kept pulling its wings in and dropping a couple hundred feet then pulling them out and doing it again. I motioned with one hand and we began to glide smoothly down. The thing dropped below the trees and we flew over to the spot it had disappeared.

" Oh crap." The ground and all but the very tops of the tallest trees was covered in thick white fog. Not only would it be hard to land without running into trees, but the thing had already disapeared into it. We decended cautiously making sure to stay close. Thank God no one hit a tree.

"Okay stay like five inches from each other so no one gets lost." I wasn't even extravigating. Well maybe a little, but we were dealing with like super fog on steriods. I couldn't see the trees I knew were five feet away. The sun went down and we still hadn't found the thing. The forest was just one big maze and with the fog you couldn't tell when you were going in circles. It was like the needle in the haystack. Rather, finding the needle that could run away in the giant haystack, blindfolded.

Why didn't we just give up? Simple, stupid Voisce kept nagging. Any time I even considered leaving it went on and on and on and on and-get the point? Any way aparently this was REALLY important. For what? Yeah like I got to know. Eventually I decided to ignore it and try to go to sleep.

I took first watch because a certain Voice was keeping me up. It's nonstop chatter was giving me a headache.

_Maximum, now is not the time to rest. You're so close to your goal._

_Goal? Oh you mean getting rid of the annoying Voice in my head?_

_You know what I mean. Saving the world is not a joke. When are you going to learn?_

_Voice can you just shut up for once? _It didn't say anything for the rest of my watch. But as soon as I woke up Iggy and got relativly comfortable guess who came back?

_You know Max..._Ugh. I ignored it and finally fell asleep. Of course Voice kept talking in my dreams.

**Ok so I'm not gonna get to update till Tuesday because I'm going to Austin (Its in Texas for those of us who aren't gifted in geography) for the weekend. :) for me :( for you. I promise to update by Wednesday, but if I get enough reviews I might try to figure out the Microsoft Office thingy on my phone and update this weekend. Its really kewl it does word, excel, and powerpoint. It would be amazing if I could actually work it. Lol review please!**


	3. Chapter 3

**I actually have good reasons for not updating believe it or not. I was busy everyday(except Saturday but I just didn't feel like it).**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Maximum Ride buuuuuuuuuuut I do own alot of this chapter since it happens to be about my character and I own the plot.**

**Misty POV**

For a moment I lost myself in the joy of flying. The sky was clear. The moon was bright. The stars were shining. My wings slightly glittered in the moonlight. I enjoyed flying in the crisp, cool night air.

Until I noticed how close the ground was. I started to flap franticly, but it didn't work. The hard ground loomed closer. I kept flapping hard even thought it wasn't working, if anything the ground got closer. With my eyes shut tightly I prepared to splat. What a great escape this was turning out to be. I felt bad for whoever found me. A Misty pancake was not a pretty sight. Several minutes passed. I cracked open one eye. Wasn't I supposed to have splatted by now?

Huh. The ground was a safe distance away and I seemed to be rising. My wings moved steadily up and down. I guess it was instinct or whatever. Basiclly, if I didn't try anything my wings would make sure I didn't die. The birdyish-I know thats not a word but what else can I say that makes sense? Oh wait avain. The _avian_ part of me actually knew how to fly.

I flew until I was about to fall out of the sky from exhaustion. And then I flew some more. I had no idea where I was, but I wanted to make sure I was far enough away from Buffalo**(A/N Buffalo is in New York close to Niagra Falls if your wondering)** that no one would find me. Finally, I figured I was far enough away. I angled downwards stumbling to a stop on my face.

I spit out mouth fulls of dirt and stood up. Was it safe here? I noticed the area was covered in thick fog. How'd I miss that? I pulled a water out of my bag. After guzzling that I emptyed my food onto the ground. I was starving. I had eaten have of my food before I stopped. I didn't want to run out. I had plenty of cash, but i didn't want to waste that. Also in my wallet was my credit card, worthless because i couldn't use it without being tracked. My parents had probably canceled it by now anyway. I'd packed as many practical clothes as could fit in the limited space. The only other thing in the bag was my laptop. It was an extremly high tech model made by some company called Itex. Most importantly it was untracable.

I logged on and checked the time, 4:12 am. Only 4 hours 33 minutes till someone noticed I was missing. The school would see I'm not there and call my parents to make sure I'm not randomly skipping or anything. They'd be too busy to answer their phones. When my mom got home at 7 she would check her messages and send the maid up to get me. When I'm not their she'll get mad at me, not for skipping school but for wasting the five whole minutes of her time it took to listen to the message and find a maid. No one would actually consider I ran away till around midnight. Most likely the maid would guess first. My parents care so much *insert heavy sarcasm*.

I checked my email for lack of a better thing to do. Just a message from my best friend, Abby.

Misty-

Are coming or not?

~Abby

I sighed. I'd put off telling Abby if I could come to her party because I didn't want to lie and say yes but if I said no she would have asked me why. Any reason I gave her wouldn't be good enough, I hadn't wanted her mad at me when I left. I deleted it without replying. A single tear dripped down my cheek. And then I was bawling. Not for the stupid party, but for everything else I'd lost. I missed my friends. I missed the stray cat that sat meowing on the porch until I came outside to pet him. Jumping out of my second story window- something I know I shouldn't be able to do-to sneak out and go meet my friends at 3 in the morning. Going to school. Shopping. Everything.

So many things I would never get to do.

The only thing I wouldn't miss was my parents. They didn't love me, they were only about one step above hating me. To them I was nothing more than a pesky problem they couldn't get rid of. They couldn't get rid of me but they could ignore me as much as possible. When i was little I used to pretend that I was stolen and someday soon my real parents would come and rescue me. We'd all live happily ever after, but not in a castle I never wanted to be a princess. I'd given up on that years ago. Real-life fairy tales didn't exist, castle or not.

I guess you could argue that my wings were from a fairy tale. But what kind of fairy tale girl doesn't want to be a princess? Wings were a curse, not some magical fairy power, a beautiful curse. It was amazing to soar above the world high above the people below, but soaring above them set me apart from everyone else. I was alone. Free, but alone. I didn't realize I had cried myself to sleep till I woke up the next morning.

**Ok there might be another long wait. I'm going to try to post another chapter tomorrow but on Thursday I'm leaving for the beach and won't be back till Sunday night. R&R.**

* * *


	4. Chapter3

**:( my vacation got short because my dog got sick. On the plus side, I got to try surfing. I'm actually kinda good considering i didn't take a lesson.**

**Disclaimer: Plot:mine Charcters:not mine, I'm not gonna do any more disclaimers because by now it should be obvious I'm not James Patterson.I AM NOT JAMES PATTERSON!!!! got it?**

**Max POV**

I woke up before the rest of the flock. The fog from the night before was almost completly gone. I was even more tired then I had been last night. With a groan I rolled over and stood up.

"Okay everybody up!" I yelled. No one moved, typical. I was debating whether to keep yelling or to start kicking when I heard something that sounded suspiciously like footsteps. I picked my way silently through the trees. It was a girl. She moved around the trees picking up stuff and packing it in a bag. Just an ordinary runaway except for one thing: she had wings. She rustled them stiring up leaves. They were grayish blue but they sparkled silver when the sun caught them.

I felt the flock creep up behind me and I motioned for them to be quiet. We surrounded the clearing and waited. For what? I'm not sure something like an attack or whatever.

"I can see you. Might as well tell me why your here, and get out of the bushes." I jumped, I hadn't expected her to notice.

"Okay!"Angel skipped over to the girl.

"Angel!" I hissed, "What are you doing?!"

"Don't worry Max. It's okay we can trust her."I sighed. Angel would have noticed if she was evil or something right? The rest of us warily came out.

"That's Max, Iggy, Fang, Nudge, Gasman, and I'm Angel," she pointed out each of us to the girl, beaming.

"Misty." She smiled back at Angel.

"OMG! Is that a Louis Vuitton?" Nudge squealled.

"Oh, uh yea."

"It's so cute! I wanted one but Max said it was too expensive. How old are you? I'm 12. Max, Iggy, and Fang are all 14, Gazzy is 8, and Angel is 7. I love your necklace! Who gave it to you? Do you have a boyfriend? I don't. Your hair is like perfectly straight! Is it natural? If not what kind of straightner did you use? Can I borrow it? My hair is way too curly, I can barely comb it. Do you-" Iggy put his hand over her mouth before she could talk us all to death.

"Actually Max, Fang and Iggy are all 15 now. And Gazzy is 9." Whaaaaat? Since when?"Your birthday was seven months ago we just never celabrated any of ours," Angel said reading my mind. By now Nudge had managed to pry Iggy's fingers apart.

"So?"She looked at Misty. Misty, who had been looking a little creeped out previously, laughed.

"I'm 13, my uncle gave me this necklace, I don't have a boyfriend, my hair is naturally straight, and I don't think you should straighten your hair anyways. It looks good curly. My turn. Why are you here?"

"Were-"

"Max's Voice told her to come here." Angel interupted me. So much for not trusting strangers.

_Its okay Max, you need her._

_Why?_ No answer. Big suprise there. I turned to find the new girl looking at me strangely.

"Yes I have a Voice in my head," I sighed,"We all can do weird things." I opened my wings,"I can fly super fast, Fang can turn invisible, Iggy feels colors, Nudge is magnetic and can feel emotions, Gazzy can mimic voices and...something...else, Angel can read and control minds, breathe underwater, and talk to fish." She blinked.

"Huh. All of you have powers? I can't do anything but fly, and even that only happened in the past month. How long have you had your wings? Do you know how they got there? 'Cuz I have no idea." We all stared at her incredulously.

"We've had our wings forever," Nudge was the first to speak,"the evil scientist mixed our DNA with the avian kind. Have you ever heard of the School?" she shook her head no, "Itex?"she nodded.

"Yeah, that's the company that made my laptop." There was no time to question that further because right at that moment, Total walked into the clearing.

"I wake up and everyone's gone! I thought you had left me behind! Then I noticed your packs and I find you here talking to some random person! Now the least you could do is make me breakfast, something good none of that protien bar crap." Amazingly, Misty didn't even look suprised.

**Misty POV**

The dog talks. Of course. I had really lost the ability to be suprised today, right after the part about mind control.

"We're sorry Total. We needed someone to stay and watch the camp, you being such a great watch dog and all," the little one, Angel, soothed the dog who was apparently named Total.

"How about we find the nearest town. I'll pay for breakfast," I said hoping they wouldn't mind staying with me. I didn't like being alone and they seemed to know so much more about the whole wings thing than me.

"Are you sure you can pay for that? We all eat a ton."

"I'm sure." I asured Max, who seemed to be the leader. I pulled out my wallet and flipped through the hundred dollar bills inside it.

"Are you like rich or something?" Nudge asked.

"Uh..."

"Because you have really expensive stuff. Like those jeans! They're adorable! How much did they cost? I want a pair!"

"Nudge!"someone hissed, i didn't bother to turn and see who it was,"Don't be rude!"

"Sorry."

"It's okay. Come on, Let's go find somewhere to eat."One by one they all jumped into the air and unfurled their wings. There was absolutly NO WAY I could do that. I had enough trouble jumping out of a second story window.

"Aren't you coming?" Nudge shouted down to me. I held up one finger, the universal sign for hold on one second, and climbed up the tallest tree I could find. once at the top, I jumped off and flapped hard. I finally reached the others after after almost hitting the ground. I felt like a clumsy bowling ball, controled by someone with very bad aim.

The fly to look for food was totally embarassing. Everyone took turns giving me pointers on how to fly better. It really helped but I didn't want to have to go through that again.

"IHOP!" Gazzy cried, triunphant. We'd placed bets on who would find a restaurant first, winner gets all of the candy in everyone elses bag.

"Here." Iggy threw a chocolate bar at him, hitting him on the head.

"Hey!" Gazzy frowned. I laughed.

"Come on let's go eat."

**I just realized that I called the last chapter "chapter 3" even though it was chapter 2. So this is the real chapter 3. Reveiw Please :]**


	5. Chapter 4

**Whoo! 2 chapters in one day!**

**Misty POV**

The waitress eyed us suspiciously.

"You sure you guys will eat all that?" Apparently she wasn't used to big eaters.

"Were sure." Max said curtly.

"And you can pay for it?" She looked skeptical.

"I'm sure." I lazily opened my wallet and flipped through the bills. "Now, are you going to bring us our food?"

"Yes...I mean right away mam!" The flustered waitress hurried away. She came back with our meals in a record time of seven minutes. And in another record of three minutes, Iggy and Gazzy had finished inhaling their food. The rest of us more "civilized" eaters (meaning we actually put in on a fork before shoving it in our mouths) talked and ate. It was like playing 20 Questions. For example:

Nudge:Whats Your Favorite Color?

Me:blue?

Everyone else puts in their favorite color now.

Usually Nudge asked the questions but occasionally somebodyelse would take a turn. Everything was going fine until Max kind of stared off into space with a glazed look over her eyes. No one but me seemed to notice anything was wrong.

_It's okay she's just talking to the Voice._

I jumped.

"Why am I hearing a voice in my head?!" Angel giggled.

"Sorry, I forgot you've never heard me talk in your mind before." I just stared at her. Max blinked and stood up.

"Come on guys we've gotta leave. Voice wants us to take down some place called the Academy. Apparently it's a sorta Itex plant run by someone called **(Remember the 5th book hasn't happened) **." The flock, as I now knew they were called, stood up and followed her to the door. I stayed seated, not sure if I should follow or not. "Your coming too, Misty, Voice says you have to." Well that settles it. I threw a couple hundreds down since I had no idea how much the food had cost. Looks like that was one lucky waitress.

I am following the girl with the Voice in her head. What is my life turning into?

* * *

**Okay so this next part takes place at the Academy. The point of view is of an experoment there, one who will be one of the main characters later.**

**Fierce POV**

I almost laughed at the sadistic whitecoat as he tryed and, once again, failed to get me out of my cage.

"Out! Your wanted for testing in lab three! If you don't come out I will you out here myself!"

"Uh-huh," I looked bored, "well good luck with that!" I said with fake cheerfulness. He got madder and bright red splotches appeared on his cheek. He spoke into his walkie-talkie.

"We have a situation in room 23. The cat-avain hybrid refuses to leave the cage again." The craklely voice on the other end sighed.

"Okay we'll sent in one of the version 5.0s." Okay that was a dumb move on their part. I was the only one who knew, probably because I was so incoperative, that the 5.0s**(M-Geeks)** were easy to defeat. All you had to do was chop open their heads. Gross but true. I leaned back and closed my eyes like I was sleeping because I knew that would annoy the whitecoat. I cracked open one eye. He was seething with anger. The stupid robot walked into the room followed by a white coat. The whitecoat leaned closer to look into my cage.

"Is it dead?" I barred my teeth at him and hissed. He jumped back and shrieked like a girl. I bared my fingers.

"Rawr." He frowned at me.

"Drag it out of the cage." He instructed the 5.0. It reached into my cage but I was ready for it. I chopped my hand over its head, jumped out of the cage and knocked the whitecoats out before they had time to react. I reached down and inspected their pockets. Lighter. That could come in handy. Todays plan for havoc was to set the room where they kept the 5.0s on fire. I had seen it last time they took me for a "test"(mostly these consisted of me refusing to do what they wanted me to and getting shocked and/or beaten.

I opened the door with the whitecoat's keycard and proceeded to walk down the hall while waving at security cameras. Your probably wondering why I was waving. Was I trying to get caught. Yep. it's not like I was escapong or anything. I wouldn't do that unless I could get everyone else out too. Right now I was just enjoying pissing off .

Walked past three more doors then opened the one on the right. I wasn't sure if I had took the wrong hallway, I so hoped this was the Robo-room. I steped inside and looked into the amazed faces of 20 or so thirteen-year-olds. This wasn't the Robo-room but it was so much better.I'd found one of the classrooms where they trained the future whitecoats. Evil starts at an early age you know.

Grinning maniacally I bared my fangs and spread my wings wide. Hissing slowly I backed out of the room leaving the children screaming and the teacher cowering behind her desk. Now off to the Robo-room. I ran fast to make sure I got there before the teacher calmed down enough to pull the alarm. My fingernails slowly morphed into claws like they always did when I was angry which tended to happen alot these days.

I saw the 5.0s in my perhiprial vision. A bullet bounced off the wall next to me. i flung open the Robo-room door and set the nearest 5.0 on fire. I felt the tranquilizer pierce my arm just as the first explosion went off.

***********************************

I looked around fearfully at the water surrounding me. This was the new torture method they had devised today especially for me. It was called Let's-Put-The-Cat-Hybrid-Underwater-Tied-Up-And-See-How-Long-It-Can-Hold-It's-Breath the LPTCHUTUASHLICHIB for short sounds like so much fun. I endured around 12 minutes of this before I sank into blackness.

"Fierce? Are you awake?"

"Fri-Fri? Why are you all wet" This woke me up I groaned and sat up.

"Do I want to know what you did this time?" Falcon's voice was teasing but I could tell he had been worried.

"Um...let's see," I tapped my chin pretending to think,"oh yeah! I scared a classroom full of kids and set the 5.0s on fire!"

"Cool!" Spike yelled. Falcon and I winced. We had even more enhanced hearing because of my cat genes and his dog ones.

"You don't have to yell I'm right here."

"Sorry. I just always wanted to do something like that."

"Don't worry. Someday I will let you blow up this whole building. Now go back to sleep, it's 3 am."

"Fri-Fri why are you wetted!" Chibi poked her finger into my cage.

"The meany scientists sprayed me woth water guns but I got them back! I tickled them!" She giggled. Within 10 minutes everybody but me and Falcon were asleep. He sighed.

"You really have to stop doing these things. Your going to get yourself killed."

"Can we please argue tommorrow? I'm really tired now."

"Fine. Oh and one more thing."

"What." I really wasn't in the mood for this.

"You tickled them?" He smirked.

"Shut-up, It's actually quite effective." He nodded sarcasticly.

"Night Fierce."

"Goodnight Falcon."

**Ok I fixed the mistakes and added more to the end.**


	6. Chapter 5

**Now that my oh so enjoyable "vacation" is over**(that was sarcasm)**, I can start updating. As for how my vacation went:**

**my uncle(my mom's brother) is a narcissistic argumentative control freak who can't handle his divorce**

**my aunt(my mom's sister) has issues with my grandparents and locked us out of the house when we(me, my mom, my sister) decided to spend the day with my grandparents instead of going a little kids theme park even though neither me or my sister are little kids and we spent the whole vacation with her**

**so it was completely stress-full and leaves me with only aunt I'm not pissed at, since I haven't talked to the aunts and uncles on my dad's side after an incident a few years ago. Oh and my dog is sick again.**

**Sorry I just needed to rant. On with the story!**

**Fierce POV**

I woke up the next morning and stretched, only to bang my head on the top of the cage. Stupid cat genes.

"Sh-" I noticed that Chibi was awake. "-oot."

"Fri-Fri all better now?" She was the only one who I let call me anything but Fierce, but only because she was just two years old. She was Asian with beautiful straight black hair, adorable blue eyes, and white wings speckled with gray. She was my baby, I'd taken care of her since the whitecoats had shoved her in my cage as a baby. She had a twin brother but one experiment went wrong when they were both only a few months old.

"Yes, I'm all better."

"Good." She smiled through the bars of her cage and I smiled back. I looked around the room. Falcon and Spike were both up. Clementine was the only one still sleeping, curled up into a ball. I looked at her before looking at Falcon. He understood and shook his head no. A year ago, Clementine tried to escape with Trace. They made it just past the fence before the now retired Erasers caught up with them. They killed Trace but she lived. We all knew she had been in love with him. She stopped caring after that. Technically she should've been the leader now,not me, at 15 she was the oldest.

"So how many 5.0s did you blow up?" Spike asked, his green eyes round and eager. His name came from the way his brown hair always stuck up in spikes. "We heard the explosion all the way down here!"

"I don't know, defiantly a lot. Oh and I also found a classroom."

"No wonder they put you underwater." Falcon muttered. Then louder, "Please tell me you didn't do anything there that will make them punish you more."

"No, I didn't even touch them although," I grinned evilly,"I think quite a few of them will be rethinking their job choice. But seriously, all I did was hiss at them with my wings out. Actually it was probably the claws that got them. But hey, what are mind wipes for?" He just shook his head, and I knew he would get mad at me later, when everyone else was asleep.

The rest of the day passed uneventfully with whitecoats coming in periodically to take everybody but me to testing, I guess they didn't want to put up with an "uncooperative experiment". Finally it was night and everyone else was asleep excluding Falcon.

"What tests did they do today?"

"Nothing to bad, just the maze and IQ tests. No injections or fighting."

"Oh. That's good, I guess. So..." I really didn't want to have the argument I knew was coming.

"Can't think of anything else to say?"

"Well...at least I didn't have to do any tests?"

"Only because you got in so much trouble yesterday!" And the argument begins.

"But look what happened because of that! Did you see one single 5.0? No? I wonder why? Isn't it a good thing that no one had to battle 5.0s today!" Even though we were arguing, our voices were so quiet that no one else in the room could hear the cat/dog genes gave us even better hearing then the avian ones alone.

"Not if you get killed in the process!"

"But I'm not dead!"

"But you could be! What happens when they don't stop the 5.0s from killing you? What about when they decide enough is enough and retire you?"

"But that won't happen because they can't afford to lose me. I'm the only successfull feline and avian hybrid, all their other tries died!"

"They might decide your not worth the trouble, no matter how special you are!"

"Well at least I'm doing something! I can't just sit here and do nothing, that's just letting them win! It's not right and I'd rather die trying to do something than wait around for the next time they want to experiment on someone! I don't want anymore of you guys to die!"

"I don't want you to die either! They're not going to stop experimenting on us! The only way out is escape! And unfortunately, that's impossible because-" He stopped abruptly when the door suddenly opened. It was a whitecoat followed by hastily made 5.0. It was all patchworky like it had been pieced together in 5 minutes, which come to think of it, it probably had.

"Take that one," he said pointing to Falcon's cage. I started to hiss.

"Relax, kitty. It'll be back by tomorrow. We just need it to test our new invention, which we plan on using on you if you misbehave again."

"Well then maybe you should wait to test it until you need it," I tried my hardest to sound reasonable. He ignored me and gestured for the 5.0 to follow him out the door. Testing a torture device meant for me on Falcon? I vowed to personally kill that whitecoat if anything went wrong.

"I know what you and Falcon were saying." I jumped, startled. "I read your lips," Clementine continued. "He's right, the only way out is escape. You could do it, your an expert at getting out of your cage. Get out and wait in the woods far enough away that your out of range. Then have Falcon use his skill." His skill was to knock out everybody within a 500 foot radius, the only problem was that everybody passed out and it only lasted about 10 minutes. Not nearly enough time to drag everyone out of here. "Then come back, one of you can carry Spike and the other can carry Chibi."

"What about you?"

"I stay."

"No. I'm not going to leave unless EVERYBODY comes."

"But I don't want out. I'll try to stop the whitecoats and 5.0s from coming after you."

"They'd kill you! I will never allow that to happen. I'm not going to let anyone else die." She just smiled sadly, the moonlight fell on her blond hair turning it silver.

"If you stay here, you'll all die eventually. Experiments gone wrong like Chibi's brother, killing as punishment," _Like Trace _I added silently."they'll turn you into a weapon like Tawny." Tawny was another birdkid. She had been turned into an Eraser, sparking the scientests' intrest in flying erasers. "Especially you, Fierce. To them your perfect for that. you already have claws, sharp teeth, wings, your stronger than the rest of us, you hear better, see better, you already know how to fight, all they have to do is turn you to their side. Think about it. The longer you wait, the more chance one of us will die."

"No. I will get us out of here, and when that happens your coming too, even if I have to drag you."

**Thanks to Rainbow. Wings for being such an awesome reviewer! **

**Press the green button!!!!**


	7. Popcorn Really?

**I'm late at updating again...it's a miracle that i manage to turn in papers on time. In sadder news my dog died, but I guess thats better than her being put down. Oh and I've decided to name the chapters so I don't have to worry about 7 being 6 and such.**

**Misty POV**

We flew for a couple of hours. I managed to keep up with everyone else to my surprise, and I'm they were surprised as well but everyone was great at hiding it. Except Total who could barley keep up himself.

"No one ever bothered to teach me how to fly, and yet you teach the new girl whose only been flying once. I've been able to fly for a full week now and no one offered to help me." he huffed.

"Yeah maybe that was because you growled at anyone who tried," Iggy said. That shut him up. He sulked in silence for the rest of the flight. Around midday we stopped at a fast food place and ate ginormous amounts of food. Flying really made you hungry. About ten o'clock we landed in a random forest, somewhere in one of the middle states. I managed to land with out hitting a tree and/or landing on my face. Though I did almost stumble into a bush. I sat around feeling useless as the flock gathered firewood and set up camp. It was taking a while and I had nothing to do so I opened my laptop and clicked open the Internet. Might as well see what people were saying about my disappearance.

**_Buffalo News_**

**The police have found no leads on the disappearance of Misty Stevens. The thirteen-year-old was reported missing early this morning. So far, police officials seem to think the girl just ran away, but no one can find a significant reason for her to. Parents, Steve and Margret Stevens seem to think she was kidnapped even though there is no evidence of a struggle, yet there are many reasons for someone to kidnap her. The Stevens family has been discovered to be multi-millionaires, yet no one seems to know where all this money came from. This may-**

I stopped was all a bunch of crap, which meant that no one knew where I was or what had happened. That was a good thing. The less chance of being found, the better. I decided to look up the School since it seemed to be relevant to the wings thing and no one had bothered to explain after Total interrupted. The results popped up on Google. Illegal experimentation. . . destroyed by flock. . . run by Itex. . . blah blah blah evil blah experiments blah I love Fang! blah fang and flock saved us. . . By-Half plan? Whatever that was. Oh wow, Fang's Blog, either someone was crazy obsessed enough to pretend they were he was stupider than I though. Didn't they know you could trace computers? I clicked on it if it was the real thing it might tell me something, if not I could use a good laugh.

I read through the first few posts. Apparently the School had experimented on them and gave them wings, Itex ran the school and most of the world until the flock destroyed it and it's plans to eliminate most of the world's population. Lovely, I got my laptop from an evil company that wanted to run the world, although I guess a lot of people got stuff from them, so I wasn't alone in supporting global disaster. I read about the flock's time in Antarctica (thank God I meant them after that, I like snow but Antarctica?). I also learned that Fang had stolen a fancy Itex laptop with an untraceable signal much like mine, except if I had to guess I'd bet his wasn't baby blue and drawn on with sharpies. My parents never got over the fact that I decorated the fancy laptop in plain old sharpies. They thought I should have got a professional to do it. I didn't even know if there was a such thing as a professional laptop decorator but I was pretty good at drawing and I liked the way it looked.

"Hey Misty! You hungry?" I nodded.

"Famished." I closed the laptop and walked over to the fire. Iggy was cooking something. The blind guy cooks? I decided not to comment. After I ate a delicious dinner of poptart on stick (slightly burnt but not half bad considering the "stove" we were using). I only had one question I wanted answered before I gave into exhaustion.

"Why did my wings just appear but you guys have had yours all your lives?" Max paused while she was setting out a sleeping bag.

"We don't know. Maybe something went wrong in an experiment. The whitecoats didn't know everything as much as they liked to think they did."

"But why would they keep me alive? Why give me back to my parents? I read Fang's Blog, I don't think they were the kind of people who would just let me go if something was wrong."

"Who knows? They had tons of deluded evil plans they never got around to completing. We might be able to find out tomorrow. Now go to sleep, your going to need it tomorrow." Her tone was that of a mother assuring a child everything would be okay.

"Goodnight," I mumbled then drifted off to sleep

* * *

Pop. Pop. POPPOPPOPPOPPOPPOP!!!!!!!!!!!

Ugh what was that noise? I turned over onto my face and reached over to pull my pillow over my head. And found myself face down in dirt. Oh right, I wasn't in my room, I was in the middle of nowhere with no idea what was going down. Spitting the dirt out of my mouth, I sat up and rubbed my bleary eyes.

Pop. Pop Pop. Pop. I almost screamed. What was that freaking noise?!

"Finally. Your up, that makes three of us." I turned to see Max and Fang sitting by the dying fire while popping popcorn. So that's what the popping noise was.

"Why are you popping popcorn this early? It's-" I stopped. I had no idea what time it was.

"5 am," Fang supplied helpfully.

"Yes 5 am, why would you possibly want popcorn at this hour?" Wait. . . "5 am!" I shouted. "Why were you trying to wake me up at 5 am?!"

"Because were leaving," Max answered. "And popcorn is very effective in waking people up. Kicking works well too."

"Whatever, let's just get where ever were going so I can go back to sleep."

**And that was chapter six. The Academy experiments won't be showing up in the next 1-3 chapters. Hope you liked it. Reviews are always apreciated.**


	8. Paparazzi at McDonald's

**Thanks to all the people who reviewed! That's about it...**

**Misty POV**

The reason for being woken up at 5, as I discovered after a nutritious breakfast of popcorn, was so that we would make it to Max's mom's house before dark. According to Fang's blog, which had become my main source of information since I had a feeling nobody wanted to sit around explaining every important thing in their lives to me, Max was the only one who knew her parents. Iggy had found his, but after that disaster the search for the others parents was stopped. Flying still hadn't lost it's thrill even after three days of flying till my wings were about to fall off.

"I'm hungry," Nudge

"Me too," Gazzy chimed in. I'd learned that flying burns tons of calories which is great and all if your trying to lose weight, but kind of a pain when you were trying to get somewhere as fast as possible.

"Okay we'll land behind that building over there. Then we'll head over and see if we can find an ATM and some food." Max took charge, as usual. I dropped down lower swooping down.

"Stupid roof!" I yelled as I kicked it on my way down. I swear if one more inanimate object tries to get me. . . Just this morning a tree root reached out and grabbed me. Angel giggled.

"The roof doesn't hate you, but I think the tree does." I laughed too while everyone else gave weird looks. Max just shook her head and started walking. The flock+me followed, no one wanted to be left to starve. At the ATM, Max magical produced a credit card and withdrew enough cash for lunch. Remind me again how you get a credit card on the run? First you kind of have to pay for it. Then there's always the matter of tracking. Somehow, Iggy noticed my confusion and took a moment to explain.

"The Voice gave it to her, don't ask. It's safe." Disembodied Voices can give credit cards? I really wondered how that worked.

_What kind of town is this? _We'd been walking for over an hour and we STILL hadn't found anywhere to eat. Not even a crappy fast-food place. What people here eat? You can't cook every single day. Just as we were about to give up and fly to the next town, the yellow arches of McDonald's were spotted. I've always hated that place, the only things I like there are McFlurries and french fries. Yet right now, ice cream and fries sounded great. The drive-through line was 10 cars long and all the parking spots were full. Seems like everyone was tired of home cooking. We made our way into the crowed restaurant. The wait was about 30 minutes before we finally got to order.

"Um I'll have an M&M McFlurry, a Butterfinger one, and three large fries."

"That'll be-"

"Oh and one of those apple pie things too."

"Is that all?" the frazzled girl asked sarcastically.

"Yeah." She sent dagger glares at us as I paid for my food and went to squeeze into the booth all seven of us had to share. No other seats were available in the crowed restaurant. I dug into my food. I was only on my first set of fries when I noticed the not so discrete stares and whispers of the people around us.

"Are they those bird-kids on the news?"

"Mom! Look, It's those flying kids from TV!"

"Whose that with them?" My spine stiffened. If just one person recognized me. . .

"Ugh not this again," Max glared at the people.

"Were like celebrities now. After the whole Itex thing and all." Nudge beamed and waved to the people. I saw a camera flash go off in my peripheral vision.

"I've got to get out of here. Meet me at the building!" I jumped up and ran for the door. My hair fell over my face keeping people from getting to good a look at me. I pushed past a startled 5-year-old and took off into the air. Okay maybe not the smartest idea, flying away for all to see but this way no one could get a good enough picture to identify me.

I touched down on the roof of the building we had landed at earlier. Few people passed by and no one seemed to notice me on the roof. Twenty minutes later, the flock came and landed on the roof with me.

"What was that about?" Max asked me in her no-nonsense tone.

"Those people had cameras, if one of them recognized me then I don't know, bad things could happen. There's already a search going out for me and if my parents got me again, well, let's just say they would probably start their own 'Itex' illegal experiments and all. I don't really want the publicity thing either. Been there, done that."

"Ooh can I do a make-over on you? Pleeeeeeeeeeease. Since you don't wanna be recognized and all," Nudge was practiclly shaking with excitement. Was it safe to trust my appearance to an 12-year-old? Probably not, but whatever.

"Sure," I answered,"just promise you won't cut my hair too short." Right now it hung to about my waist.

"Okay. Thankyou thankyou thankyou!" She squealed.

"Okay that works, Nudge as soon as we get to Mom's house we'll go get you the supplies you need and for the rest of the trip no more stops."I was still pretty hungry since I didn't think to grab the rest of my lunch, but I agreed with Max. Safety over comfort.

"Here," Angel handed me my fries and the apple pie. "I wanted to bring your icecream but it would've melted."

"Thanks." I smiled at her and finished the food in record time.

"Ready to go?" Max asked.

"Yeah."

"Then let's get out of here."

**Ok not the best chapter, kinda filler-y, but I didn't know what to write. I promise the next one will be better. It'll also be in Max's POV.**

**R&R**


	9. Jeb

**Thanks to:**

**Bedelato, review&favorite story**

**Rainbow. Wings, you are the best reviewer ever!**

**I've decided to try to post something every 2-3 days, at least until school starts then it'll have to be weekends only cuz of gymnastics and homework.**

**Max POV**

We arrived at my mom's house just before dinner time. Ella was outside with Magnolia **(that's the dog's name, right? I wasn't sure and I'm too lazy to go check the book)**.

"Max!" she squealed then ran over to hug me and each member of the flock. Magnolia started barking loudly at Total.

"Oh shut-up already," He muttered then trotted over to pee in the bush.

"Hi I'm Ella, Max's half-sister. Who are you?"

"Misty."

"Mom! Come outside!"

"Ella, honey what is it? Max!" She ran over and hugged me. Normally I'm not a very huggy person, but I make an exception for my family. "Oh Max I know you won't be happy about this but-" At that moment, Jeb walked out the door. My mood dropped several notches. Of course he would be here when I was. I was about to ask what he was doing here but Misty beat me to it.

"Why are you here?"

"You know him?" I asked surprised.

"He's my Uncle."**Did anyone catch the hint in the first chapter?**

"Max, I knew you were going to come back here eventually, so I've been waiting. Misty, I'm Max's father."

"You forgot to mention the part about being an ex-Itex scientist," I muttered.

"Itex, really? Then would you care to explain why I acquirred wings so recently, was this your doing?"

"It wasn't my idea. I didn't want to help. I can't explain it to you now."

"So you helped, but since it wasn't your idea, it's not your fault right? Wrong. I didn't believe a lot of things my parents said, especially when they said you were a bad person. I guess they right, who would've thought that?" She lifted her hands and unclasped the necklace she'd worn the entire time I've known her. She dropped it at Jeb's feet as she walked into the house. The flock silently filed into the house leaving me and Jeb. He sighed and shoved the necklace into his pocket.

"So what was that about?"

"I'll explain later let's go eat." Normally I would have demanded an answer, but the mention of food set my stomach growling.

Dinner was tense. The younger kids talked some. Ella told me about how she had the leading role in her school play. After dinner everyone went into the living room to watch some movie. I decided this would be the perfect time to confront Jeb.

"So are you going to tell me what happened with Misty?" I whispered to him. He nodded and motioned for me to follow him. I grabbed Fang as we left the room. I wanted someone to help make sense of this, and he was probably glad I saved him from the movie anyway. Jeb led us to the study and locked the door behind us. Fang leaned against the wall and I sat on the table since Jeb had taken the chair.

"Misty is my sister's daughter. Her mother started working for Itex around the same time I did. She ended up marrying another scientist who worked there. When she got pregnant she wanted me to give her child wings. I refused at first but the Director thought it was an excellent idea. But something went wrong and she was born with no wings. Her hearing and eyesight are above average, but not quite as good as yours. She was going to be retired but I convinced both the Director and her parents that it would be helpful to study how an "enhanced" human would fit into society. She was supposed to have a power that would've developed about a week ago, but I doubt it showed up. She's lucky she wasn't deemed a complete failure. I-" A knock on the door stopped him. "Come in." Angel popped her head into the room.

"Max, can we go shopping tomorrow?"

"Please. Pretty please?" Nudge begged. Shopping. No way. No freaking way. I HATE shopping. "Pleeeeeeeeease." I looked at her to tell her no and. . .

"Fine." Stupid Bambi-eyes. Jeb had already left so I figured I might as well go to bed.

"Thankyouthankyouthankyou!" Nudge squealed.

"Night," I muttered to Fang. Tomorrow was gonna be hell. And I still have to figure out what to think about Jeb.

**I know that was really short but I didn't have much time. But that was the explanation I promised in chapter 1. It also explains how she got a good Itex laptop. R&R**


	10. Cherry and a Dress

**Sorry I didn't update on time. And for the sucky last chapter hope this one will be better.**

**Misty POV**

"She's lucky she wasn't deemed a complete failure." _Failure failure failure. _My own uncle thought i was a failure. My parents were criminal scientists who were completely okay with "retiring" me. Oh shoot we messed up when we played with our kid's DNA. No wings? Forget about being happy it lived through the experiment, let's just retire it. Your saying we have to keep it? Darn!

And how did I know this? Well after we ate dinner, which was delicious by the way. Way better than the one time my "mother" (emphasis on the air quotes) tried to make microwave pizza. I guess evil scientists just don't have the time to learn to cook. Anyway, I wasn't really in the mood to watch some movie so I said I was tired and headed off to bed. And instead of going to bed I followed Max, Fang, and Jeb. Turns out my room was right next to the study. Good thing the walls were thin because apparently I failed at having super birdy hearing. So I got to hear Jeb telling the tragic tale of my evil parents and my complete suckyness (in the mutant world anyway). Too bad Nudge and Angel barged in first I really wanted to find out what Jeb was going to say and then barge in and surprise him, but Angel and Nudge beat me to it. A knock on the door interrupted my internal rant.

"Come in!" I yelled then flipped open my laptop so it looked like I was doing something important and uninteruptable in case whoever it was felt the need to chat. Nudge popped her head around the door.

"Wanna go shopping with me and Angel tomorrow? Were making Max come," she said grinning evilly.

"Sure thing. Goodnight." Hopefully she would take the hint and leave. She did, shutting the door behind her as she left.

"Night." I sighed and closed my laptop might as well go to sleep for real since I would have to be mostly awake tomorrow. All rants and issues were officially on hold.

At least until we got back from shopping.

* * *

The next morning was uneventful. I grabbed breakfast before everyone else was up and retreated to my room until Angel came and told me that it was time to go shopping. On my way down the stairs I passed Nudge literally dragging Max out the door.

"Help me!" I shook my head trying not to laugh.

"Sorry you got your self into this. Besides, think of how much fun it'll be when Nudge makes you try on a dress!"

"That's a good idea! Come on Max!" Max glared at me as I waltzed down the stairs.

"Have fun!" I called up to her. The fly to the mall was uneventful. Punctuated by glares from Max, since Nudge had now enlisted Angel in the plan to get her in a dress. I learned of the miraculous powers of the dreaded Bambi eyes. Too bad I was too old for that, although Nudge was almost my age and they worked perfectly for her.

At the mall Max passed out money and everyone went off to who knows where. Although if the death grips Nudge and Angel had on Max were any clue I was guessing it had something to do with dresses. I wandered around alone popping into random stores I had never heard of before and buying crap just for the heck of it. I grabbed a couple of shirts and two pairs of jeans from this place called Hollister. Normally I would've shopped longer, but I wasn't really in a shopping mood today.

What to do? I still had four hours to kill before I was supposed to meet everyone out front. I didn't plan on sitting out there doing nothing for four whole hours. I saw a hair place and an idea struck me. I was going to get a makeover anyways so why not? My hair was a shade lighter than it used to be and had bright blue streaks running through it when I left the hair place. I hadn't let the stylist cut it, I was still trusting Nudge to do that. Sure this would attract more attention, but when my hair was shorter and I got colored contacts I would be harder to recognize then if my hair still looked the same. I had checked the news last night and the best pictures of me were the one with my hair covering my face and the one where I was too high in the air to make out features.

"Ugh, I wish I had a camera!"

"Max you look so pretty!" I peeked over my shoulder and burst out laughing. Nudge and Angel had gotten Max into a light pink fluffy princess dress with a huge bow on the back. You had to give her some credit though, it didn't look bad on her. But she was still wearing combat boots and it was just so. . . not Maxish. And the expression on her face was priceless! Lucky for me I had bought a camera today because I'd left mine at home and I just felt like having one.

"Say cheese!" I spun around and snapped the picture before Max had time to react. "Aw you look so cute!" Me, Nudge, and Angel collapsed into laughter.

"Misty, I'm going to kill you!" I ran away laughing by the time she got out of the dress I planned on being long gone. The rest of my mall time was spent hiding out in a Petsmart that was right out side the mall. We had been forbidden to leave the mall, but I'd rather give Max another reason to be mad at me then get publicly murdered. I petted the cute little cats they kept in the back, looked at all the small rodents, and picked up a bag of dog food for Akila, so the store people wouldn't kick me out. Is it a crime to want to look at animals without buying anything? Apparently so.

A high pitched chirping caught my attention. I walked over to the bird section of the store. I wondered what kind of bird DNA I had. Definantly not a parrot or something else brightly colored.

"Hi! Hi!" I turned around expecting to see a little girl based on the high chirpyness of the voice. No one was there. "Hello?" the voice continued. Grrr stupid kid. "Can't you understand me? You smell different from the others. You smell a little bit like a bird." I froze in shock. "What's wrong?" No way. "Do you have wings? Can I see?" Either I was officially crazy or I could understand a bird.

"I have wings," I whispered feeling really stupid.

"Whaaaat? I don't understand human language do you speak bird?" Okay count me officially freaked out. Yet I had this nagging feeling that I could speak bird kind of like how my wings had already known how to fly.

"Um. . .I guess? Actually your the first bird I've understood. Oh and your right I have wings." I chirped. The bird just stared at me. I am an idiot I am an idiot I am an idiot. Who am I kidding thinking I can talk to birds? Just because the flock can do cool things doesn't mean I can too.

"Wow. You can talk to me! I was feeling pretty stupid for a second. I mean, talking to a human? That's just crazy, but I was right! So what kind of bird are you? I'm a lorakeet!" I laughed.

"Actually I thought I was being stupid too. Kinda funny huh? And I don't know what kind of bird I am. I don't think I'm part lorakeet or anything else colorful, my wings are bluish grey."

"Hmmm. . . I don't know the only birds I know about are the ones that pass through the cages next to me. None of them are bluish gray and then there's these things called penguins which this one parrot claimed were real. He came from a zoo he said they couldn't fly but I don't believe him."

"Oh their real all right I've seen one."

"Really? What are they like?"

"They're black and white and waddle around in the snow. They can't fly, but they can swim really fast."

"I wish I could see one. . ." the lorakeet sighed.

"Hold on one second." I looked at the price for the bird, who was apparently female according to the tag. Then I would have to buy the cage and food because I'm pretty sure they wouldn't let me just carry a bird out with nothing to take care of it. That would waste too much money that I might need later, but I couldn't just leave her here.

"I can't believe I'm am going to do this." I muttered in English. I was going to steal a bird, just to be clear I have never stolen anything in my life. Not even a dollar from my parents. "Okay I'm going to get you out just be quiet and hop into my bag." I chirped in birdanese I unzippered it just enough for her to hop in. She nodded her head. "By the way, what's your name?"

"Cherry, you?"

"Misty." Now I had never picked a lock before. I looked around to make sure no one was looking then started messing around with a paperclip. It took me a total of 34 minutes which made me 13 minutes late for meeting the flock. Oh well just another thing for Max to add to her "reasons to kill Misty" list. I walked out the door at normal speed just waiting for some armed security guard to come and take me to bird-stealer's jail or whatever. As soon as I was outside, I started running to meet the flock. I arrived at the front of the mall, breathless from sprinting.

"Where were you?" Oh God. Max was glaring at me with heer arms crossed.

"At the pet store."

"And why were you at the pet store? Wasn't there a rule about not leaving the mall? And your late! I thought you had been kidnapped or something!"

"Gosh paranoid much. And news flash I don't wear a watch so I can only go by the occasional store clock. Oh and I got dog food at the pet store along with learning the useful skill of picking locks." she groaned at the lock picking part.

"Not you too, as if one lock picker wasn't enough!"

"Don't worry, I suck. It took me thirty-four minutes to pick a lock on a bird change. Soooo am I off the hook."

"No way! Especially not with that picture you have!"

"Wait! Before you kill me I have something important to say!"

"Hm?"

"I can talk to birds!"

"Cool!" Gazzy.

"Oh kinda like Angel, but not exactly because she talks to fish and. . ." Nudge.

"Aw that was so nice of you to let Cherry free." Angel.

"O-kay."Max.

"You can come out now," I chirped to Cherry. She fluttered out of my bag.

"Thank god! I thought I was gonna die with all the bouncing around you did."

"Sorry."

"Those other humans smell bird like you."

"They are. That's Max, Fang, Iggy, Gazzy, Nudge, and Angel." I pointed each one out.

"Hi!"

"Um. . .English please," Max said.

"Oh right. This is Cherry and I stole her from the pet store. She says hi." Angel waved at her.

"Let me guess, this is why you picked the lock?" I nodded.

"What are they saying?"

"Oh sorry. I forgot to tell you they can't talk to birds."

"I'm hungry. Do you have any seeds?"

"No, but I'm sure there's something at the house." And now in English. "She's hungry, can we head home?"

"Yes. And Misty?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't think I've forgotten about the picture." Darn. If I was lucky I could upload it to my laptop before she noticed.

"I'm confused, what picture are you talking about?" Gazzy asked.

"Max in a poofy pink dress. Here." I dug the camera out of my bag and tossed it to him. Everybody cracked up when they saw it, 'cept for Max who looked ticked off. But hey, everyone else thought it was funny.

**Longest chapter ever!!!!! 2235 words, including author notes but still! R&R. Next chapter will take place at the Academy!**


	11. Dog Collars

**I'm so sorry I haven't updated in a long time but I've had a TON of homework and 3 projects so I just havn't had the time.**

**Fierce POV**

I spent a sleepless night in my ever so comfy cage. At around five am the whitecoats came to pick me up for testing. No one bothered to try to get me out. Nope they just chucked my cage onto a cart paying no mind to the fact that I was upside-down. I was ceremoniously dumped outside on the ground. Before I had time to react a whitecoat rushed forward and snapped something around my neck then hurried back to his buddies inside.

"Stand-up." Someone ordered through the speakers.

"No thanks. This grass is actually quite soft compared to that cruddy plastic thing." I rolled over onto my stomach and surveyed my surroundings. Buzzing electric fence with a low chain link ceiling, rock wall, tar pit, set of hot wires, various other ridiculous things. Oh goody! The obstacle course!

"I said, get up!"

"I said, no." One of the whitecoats pressed a button and electricity coursed through the collar. It brought tears to my eyes as I lay there trying not to scream.

"Get up." This time I complied pushing myself to my feet. "Good. See how much easier things are when you listen?" I said nothing, choosing instead to glare at the window. "Now go to the start."

"And where would that be?"

"Don't play dumb, you were out here last week." I got a little teeny shock as a reminder to be a good little mutant and do what the scientists said. The start was over by the north corner, about 10 feet from the rock wall. "Stay right there, experiment 23654787 will be joining you soon." I held back the grin that was threatening to break out. Experiment 23654787, also known as Scratch, was part of a group of experiments created using the DNA of extinct animals. The scientist who created her had an ongoing argument with the scientist who created me over who had a better feline hybrid. I know what your thinking, didn't I say I was the only successful feline hybrid while arguing with Falcon? Yes, but I meant the only one with wings. As for just plain old feline/human combos, Scratch and I were the only two.

Anyway, when we were about 8 years old they had this brilliant idea to test who was stronger(the arguement had been going since before we were born). By that time had was just starting my screw with the whitecoats plan. It was mainly little things like "accidentally" knocking over huge stacks of paper and the usual snarky coments. As I was waiting for the two whitecoats to quit bragging long enough to start the race I had the perfect idea. Long story short I had convinced Scratch that we should both make sure we crossed the finish line at the exact same time. From then on we had done everything equal to see the pissed off looks on the whitecoats' faces when neither of us won. Who was really the best? I have no idea since we'd never actually tried to win.

Scratch walked over to wear I was standing.

"How has the hellhole been for you lately?" I asked politly. She ignored me. That was odd. We weren't really good friends or anything. More like two strangers united for a cause, but she had never been rude before. I didn't have time to question this new development because a whistle blew and she shot off at top speed, way faster than we usually went. I broke out into a sprint, barely able to keep up with her. Over the rock wall, across the river, through the tar with her one step ahead of me the whole way. We hit the final stretch and she started pulling ahead. I saw red. No one EVER beat me. I wouldn't let them. My claws came out and I felt that little extra burst of adrenaline that I got when I was angry. The gap between us slowly closed. 63 feet, 54 feet, 30 feet, 14 feet, 5 feet, 1 foot, 5 inches. . .

She crossed the finish line a fraction of a second before me. She wasn't even breathing hard.

"What. The hell. Was that?!" I asked between gasps. "What happened to screwing the scientists?" Her lips curled back into a sneer, her fangs even more exposed then usual.

"What are you 5? Misbehaving to get attention. Grow up." She scanned her hand on the pad the white coats used and the door opened. "Oh and by the way, nice collar, dog. Guess their keeping you on a short leash since that temper tantrum on Wednesday." She turned and sauntered inside, the door swinging shut behind her.

What was wrong with her? What form of torture would be strong enough to get her to become one of them. Because that's what she was, a whitecoat. I watched her through the window kicking a dog mouse thingy that was being injected with some sort of fluid that caused it to howl in pain. She then ordered one of the patch work 5.0s to go do something.

"This proves it! My _smilodon_**(saber tooth tiger) **hybrid is better than your avian/feline mutt!"

"That wasn't a fair trial! Yours was injected with the Sharp serum! A huge advantage and my hybrid still almost beat yours!"

"It was completly fair and you know it! There weren't any rules about using any experimental drugs! And if I'm correct, you were planning to use the Sharp serum on your experiment, and doubt you were going to tell me!" The yelling went on and on. Sharp serum? Where had I heard that before. . .**(flashback)**

_"You have got to be kidding me! Join you? As if!" I burst out laughing._

_"Laugh all you want, kitty, but we've almost finished creating the Sharp serum. After your given that and a quick operation you won't be as resistant." The Professor, the guy who runs this place, shook his head as he walked out the door._

Oh God. It seemed like Sharp+some operation turned you to their side, and from the ease that Scratch did the obstacle course with it also made you stronger. The perfect weapon. And I was about to become one.

* * *

My crate was dropped on the floor next to Falcon's who was finally back.

"Nice collar, it seems to be the new trend since they tested how it works last night."

"I'm sorry this is all my fault." I looked over at Chibi and Spike who also sported collars. Clementine didn't have one. Probably because she always did what she was told.

"It's not your fault that the Professor is a crazy freak who has a sick fascination in torturing kids."

"You saw the Professor?" I was suprised. He hardly ever preformed any of the testing.

"Yep. He said something to the others about considering me for the Sharp Procedure. Something about a serum and operation. Thank God they said no." My face went white.

"They said their going to give me that. It turns you into a monster. Falcon, if that happens I. . . I want you to kill me. Kill me and get the others out. Promise me, please." He looked horrified conflicted between protecting the others and hurting me. A long silence passed between us.

"Ok. But Fierce? It's not going to come to that. I won't let it.


	12. New Mission

**Homecoming. **

**Soooooo not worth the time I took to get ready.**

**Max POV**

Stupid Misty for having a camera. Stupid Nudge and Angel for making me try on a dress. Stupid me for giving into Bambi eyes. Stupid Gazzy for showing it to everyo-

_Maximum you have a mission to complete._

Stupid freaking Voice for nagging me in my head!

_Your running out of time. If you don't get there by next week, the world will start to end. Mr. Chu already has the plans in place. He's started the proto types-_

_Yeah yeah I know. Worlds gonna end yaddda yadda yadda. Only I can save it, ect. I've heard all this before._

_Maximum this is serious. They've found a method that not only enhances reflexes, senses, strength, and speed, but it also completely brain washes you to their side. It will be hard to save the world if the whole world is your enemy._

_Fine okay we'll leave tomorrow._

_Tonight._

_Whatever_. I sighed. Why did things always have to be so complicated? Why couldn't the world just stay saved just once?

"Saving the world, take 3," I muttered under my breath and louder, "Guys! The Voice wants us to save the world from Mr. Chu! We have to leave tonight!" This announcement was meant with enthusiastic cheering.

Not.

"But I still didn't get to do Misty's makeover!" Nudge complained.

"I'm sorry, sweetie. Maybe if you bring some supplies you can do a partial one when we stop tonight." Her face lit up and she started counting off things she'd need. "But don't bring too much stuff," I added hastily." I don't want your bag to be to heavy." She nodded her face falling, but only for a second. Everyone went off to pack. I guessed I should probably tell my mom that we had to leave tonight.

I found her the kitchen, humming a cheery tune while baking cookies. Why did the School have to make me into a freak? She deserved a nice girly daughter who could bake cookies with her, not a genetic freak that had to keep leaving and almost gets herself killed on a daily basis.

"Max! How was shopping." She laughed at my grimace. "Would you like to help me make cookies?"

"Actually I have something to tell you."

"What is it?" She'd stopped humming in anticipation of whatever bad news I was about to tell her.

"We have to go for awhile. Saving the world and all that."

"Where are you going?"

"I have no idea, but we have to leave tonight."

"Well I guess if you have to, please try your best not to get hurt."

"I will don't worry."

"I'll try. Can you get the baking sheet for me?" I handed it to her and she began making little balls of dough. I was about to go finish packing when she turned around. "Oh I forgot to tell you some of the people I work with and I came up with an idea to help promote awareness of Global Warming. It's called the Coalition to Stop the Madness or CSM. We were wondering if the flock would be the spokespeople for it."

"Um. . ." I didn't really want to be involved in anything that would bring us more fame, but I really owed my mom for letting us stay with her and everything, and it was for a good cause. . . "Yeah we'll do it when we get done with whatever were doing." She beamed.

"Thank-you."

**Misty POV**

I leaned against the office door watching Jeb looking up files on his computer. Cherry was sitting on my shoulder like a parrot. The keys made rythmic clicking sounds as he search for something.

"Guess what." Click click click. "Hello? You listening?" Click click click. "Are you ignoring me?" I practically yelled. Click click click. Yep. "Go fly over and sit on his shoulder," I whisper-chirped into Cherry's ear. She flew over and sat on top of his head, twittering loudly about how rude it was to ignore people.

"What the hell?! How did a bird get in here?!" He swatted at her with his hand, but she kept jumping up over his hand. It was pretty funny to watch Jeb get outsmarted by a tiny bird. Finally, he turned around to look at me. "Is this supposed to be some sort of payback or something? For being a part of Itex? I told you I don't know how you got wings."

"This has nothing to do with that. Just thought you should know I wasn't a failure, and I have a skill now."

"So you did get your power. . . interesting. Show me."

"Ask nicely, even evil scientists have to have manners." I smirked at him.

"Please, Miss Stevens, show me this power you claim," he said with fake sincerity. I rolled my eyes and chirped for Cherry to fly in pretty patterns.

She did flips and spins and several spiral dives. "Training a bird is not a power."

"I didn't train her! I'm talking to her!" He looked skeptical.

"Make her fly to the kitchen and bring back a grape."

"Cherry, can you go get a grape from the kitchen and bring it back?"

"Why do you need a grape?"

"I don't, but Mr. Skeptical over there does." Rolling her eyes, she left to go get the grape pecking Jeb on the way out. "So how come you don't believe me? You gave me the power, you should know what it was. I got it around the right time too."

"Misty were you eavesdropping?" He sighed. "I guess you have every right to. It is you I was talking about. As for the skill, it wasn't talking to birds. You must be mutating on your own like the flock has started to." Cherry flew in and dropped her grape on Jeb.

"Tell him he'd better believe you 'cuz I'm not gonna do dog tricks for him."

"Alright, I believe you now. Go pack your stuff, your leaving tonight."

"Wait but what's my real power? And what do you mean I'm leaving? I-"

"Guys! The Voice wants us to save the world from Mr. Chu! We have to leave tonight!"

"How did you-never mind." I left as Jeb had started clicking away on his laptop again.

Well that was sure helpful.

* * *

The Academy, the very last Itex faculty. How it remained unknown, we had yet to find out. It loomed closer on the horizon. Tall, black, and imposing, it looked almost like a medieval castle. Now I had a perfectly good reason not to live in a castle. We landed silently in a clearing of trees surounding the building. Max had a glazed, slightly annoyed look which I now knew meant she was talking to the Voice.

"Huh. It looks like this is the training place of the future whitecoats, in addition to the evil lab part. That's interesting. Well I guess we should get some sleep, we'll check it out in the morning." I curled up in the branch of a large tree. Why wouldn't Jeb have told Max about this? Without destroying this there was a chance of Itex still being resurrected. And how come this place wasn't in any of the files about Itex?

I wondered about this until I fell asleep.

**I started a new fanfic. It's called The World is Gone. The first chapter is bad but the rest are going to be better since I actually have a plan for them. R&R**


	13. The Academy

**Hola!**

**This is it! The flock meets the other flock!**

* * *

**Fierce POV**

_The moon was bright and full, not a cloud in sight. I stalked silently among the trees laughing at their stupidity. They though I couldn't follow them from the air, thought I was as useless as them. They didn't realize how superior I was. I was the predator, they were the prey. And as always, the predator wins. No matter how fast, strong, smart, or adapted the prey was, there was always something out there that was faster, stronger, smarter, better. Tonight, for them, that something was me. I reached the clearing smirking at him. He was on watch, yet he didn't even see me practically in front of him. I stepped into the light. He looked at me with naive hope. Stupid him. I wasn't the same stupid person who had loved him. Love was for the weak, the dumb, not those superior. I lunged forward. Too late, he saw the hatred in my eyes. Too late for him to wake the others. Too late to save himself or the rest. I slit their throats one by one as they slept. With cold indifference I watched the blood flow from them._

I woke up gasping from the nightmare. One lone tear made a streak down my face. The images from my nightmare flashed in front of my eyes. My whole family dead, murdered by me. I checked the time on the clock. Only 3 am. I knew I wasn't going to get anymore sleep tonight, I was afraid to close my eyes. Afraid of what I might dream if I did. It had felt so real, like I was actually there.

"Fierce?"

"Falcon?" I struggled to hide the fear in my voice.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing" I whispered oh so convincingly. Blood. Everywhere. I closed my eyes and shuddered.

"Really, what happened?"

"Nothing. Go back to sleep."

"Not until you tell me what's wrong." I sighed he could be so annoying sometimes.

"Okay. You wanna know? I had a nightmare." His eyes said go on. "You all died. And and- oh Falcon it was horrible. I killed you all, and I didn't care. I didn't feel anything. I just stood watching you die." I hadn't realized I had started to cry softly.

"Shh it's okay. It was just a dream."

"It felt so real." I had turned away from him so he wouldn't see me cry. I felt his hand tentatively reach through the bars. He rubbed my back in slow rhythmic circles.

"Fierce, I've know you almost your entire life, and I know you would never kill us. No matter what they do to you, you'll always be yourself. Your not a murder." He sounded so sure.

"How would you know?"

"I just do." And I believed him. I'm not sure how long we stayed like that. I do know that I didn't have anymore bad dreams, and when I woke up in the morning, his hand was still there.

* * *

**Misty POV**

"So what's the plan?" Iggy asked Max.

"Well, um. . . let's look for a good entrance point, and then we get in, wreak havoc, and get out. I'll even let you blow the cars up." Gazzy smiled demonicly and slapped a high-five with Iggy. We watched the whitecoats enter and exit the building from a thick clearing of trees. It would've been better if we could have got an aerial view, but there were security cameras pointing up at the sky. After 5 hours, a basic plan was developed.

Angel would use her mind powers to get us in the door. It was only a matter of time before someone from security noticed and sent robots after us, so we would have to work quick. Max and Angel were going to find the main office and some Mr. Chu or this Professor guy that Max's voice had warned us about. The rest of us were going to let out as many experiments as possible in 30 minutes. When 30 minutes was up, we were instructed to leave no matter who or what was still inside since Gazzy and Iggy were going to blow up the garage.

We watched as Angel skipped up to the door and tapped the guard on the shoulder.

"What the?" He spun around. "Hey, kid your not allowed to be here."

"Yes I am. Your going to let us all in," she said in her adorable voice. The man's face went blank.

"I'm going to let you all in."

"Right! And your going to forget this and you never saw anyone."

"I never saw anyone," he said while opening the door. We all walked in.

"Oh and I'm gonna need that too," she said taking his keycard. "You left it at home this morning. Thankyou!  
She waved to him as the door shut behind us.

"You are one scary seven-year-old," Max said while ruffling Angel's hair. Angel just beamed. "Right so, Angel come with me, and you guys start emptying cages."

"There's experiments on the 3rd floor in room 381!" Angel called over her shoulder.

"So. . . room 381 it is?" Fang nodded in response and headed for the stairs. Iggy, Gazzy, Nudge, and I ran after him. The stairs were those emergency kind with the doors. When we got to the top we hid behind the door and peeked out the window.

"Coast is clear!" Gazzy whispered. I felt like I was in some kind of spy movie, I kept having to dodge behind doors and such. If this hadn't been a serious mission thing, I probably would have done some of those spy rolls and pretend I had a fake gun. As it was, I still hummed the Mission Impossible theme song in my head.

"Someone's coming!" Iggy whisper-shouted. I ducked behind yet another white door. I mean, seriously, couldn't they add a little more color to this place? Like a nice fushia or turquoise? I made sure to pay attention to the doors we were passing, we didn't want to miss it.

_white door 343. . . white door 357. . . white door 376. . . white door 381. . . Oh wait, that was the right one._

"Guys! Over here!" I beckoned them back to 381. No one made any move to open the door, afraid of what they might find. So of course that left me to open it.

I tentatively pushed open the door and stepped inside.

"Who the hell are you?" Well that was certainly a nice way to greet their saviors.

* * *

**Fierce POV**

Chibi yawned and blearily blinked up at me. Her face broke into a smile when she looked at me. I wondered what that was about since there wasn't much to make her smile in this hell-hole.

"Do you and Fally love each other?" she asked. Aw crap I'd forgotten about what everybody else would think of this. I decided to go for the family aproach.

"Of course we love each other, were like brother and sister." I knew that wasn't what she meant but this was the truth, right?

"But mommies and daddies love each other too. Yous should be a mommy and daddy." Great I was getting relationship advice from a two year old, a very smart two year old, but still. Wait, relationship advice? Falcon was my best friend, nothing more, I swear. At that exact moment, a scientist came in carrying our "breakfast". This was the first time I'd ever been happy to see a scientist, and probably the last too. She tossed a piece of bread into each of our cages.

"Eat up, this is all your getting today since the Professor isn't testing you today." Then pointing at my cage, "Take it. The Professor wants it." A 5.0 came and picked up my cage.

"Um what happened to no testing today?" The only answer I got was the click of her heels on tile. "Helloooo? I asked a question. You know it's rude to ignore people. I-"

"Oh my god please shut it up!" the scientist whined. She sounded remarkably similar to a five-year-old who wanted icecream. I felt a sock being shoved in my mouth and taped over with duct tape. You know how you can taste smells? Well, this sock smelled and tasted like old sweaty feet, veeery sweaty feet. I felt someone open the cage and grab my arms and legs in an iron grip. I couldn't have got free even if I tried. So of course I did.

"Don't bother." The hands released me and strapped me to a chair which in turn was bolted to the floor.

"Thank you, you may go." I couldn't see but I assumed the footsteps belonged to whoever had grabbed me.

"So Fierce, how have you been?" The Professor asked with false sincerity.

"Great, just perfect. I actually got one whole piece of bread today!" I said with mock enthusiasm.

"Don't be a smart-ass, I have a serious proposal for you."

"What?" I tried to sound nonchalant but I was really curious as to just what he meant.

"You see, Mr. Chu, the owner of this school, is coming in today. I need you to agree to partake in an exhibit for him. You would be given a very simple operation and in return, i will allow you to come and go as you please." Whaaaat? Freedom?

"Let's say I actually believe you, would this freedom be just for me or for all of us? And what kind of opereation?"

"Only you would be allowed to go free. I can't tell you what the operation is, but I can assure you nothing would go wrong."

"Are you kidding me? I didn't trust you in the first place, and now you won't even tell me what your gonna do to me? How do I know I won't end up an Eraser? No i will not go along with this, not unless you let everyone go free." He shook his head like I was a stubborn little kid.

"Your loss, but my offer will still stand until the day is over. Just tell one of the interns if you agree. Taz!" A very muscular guy walked into the room and undid the straps on my chair. Once again I had no shot at escaping. Back into the cage and I was wheeled away down the hall. The day was uneventful, as was usually the case for our "vacation days". Every hour or so an intern would come in and look meaningfully at me then pretend they were doing something important. I told everyone that the Professor had just wanted to yell about the 5.0 incident. I could tell Falcon didn't believe me, but whatever. Spike was busy putting something together with a few pieces of wire he found. I wasn't going to ask; I still haven't figured out what he does with the mini bombs he makes whenever possible. Clementine was winding her perfect loose ringlet curls around her finger over and over. Chibi was humming something, I'm not really sure what, but it she wasn't bad for a little kid. Falcon was counting the barely noticeable spots on the white walls, and I was so bored I was twitching.

The door started to open slowly. I rolled my eyes, the stupid intern was probably scared of us. So you can imagine my surprise when instead of an intern, five kids appeared in the entrance to our room. 'What the heck?' was my first thought. Then crap. They were probably more experiments enhanced by the sharp serum. What did they want?

"Who the hell are you?" The short blonde who had opened the door looked taken-aback. She opened her mouth to speak, but the other girl beat her to it.

"I'm Nudge, and this is Misty, Fang, Iggy, and Gazzy, don't ask. Were here to get you out well at least that's what Max said to do. We're experiments too. We've all got wings. And yeah, I think we should let you out now and then we have to run and stuff." I had a feeling she would've kept rambling if the tall dark one hadn't walked forward and started opening cages. I climbed out of mine and warily watched them from a corner.

"Come on." The blonde, Misty motioned for us to follow her.

"Why should I trust you?" I narrowed my eyes at her. She seemed at loss for a reason.

"Because we just let you out of your cages?"

"How do I know this isn't a trap?" The one called Iggy started tapping his foot impaitiently.

"Someone's coming. We have to go now." That was impossible. There was no way he could've heard someone before me. Five seconds later I heard the steady thump of footsteps.

"Fine. But only because we have no other options." I strode forward and peeked through the crack of the door. Crap the whitecoat was too close for us to get out without being seen and he was heading right this way. "Okay, on the count of three run as fast as you can for the exit. I'll take care of the whitecoat. "One. . . two. . . three!" I pushed the door open and barreled into the whitecoat before he had time to react. Another whitecoat saw and pulled the alarm. A blaring beep started going off.

"Isn't it ironic how their favorite experiment always causes the alarms to go off?" Falcon smirked at me.

"Shut up," but I was smiling inside. Of course that smile only lasted about thee seconds because when we rounded the corner it was filled with 5.0s.

* * *

**Misty POV**

Now, I'm not all that great at fighting, so when we rounded a corner only to run into some robot things I was seriously worried. The flock had taught me a few things, but when it came down to a life or death fight I didn't even have a chance. Nobody made a move to attack, although cat-girl was looking seriously POed. Huh I didn't know she had claws. Everyone was getting into a fighting stance except for the little girl, the older blonde, and myself. I looked around and did my best to copy everyone else. The robots all surged forward at once, and I noticed Max and Angel running up behind us. I swung my arms and legs wildly thanking God every time one of my punches made contact. I wasn't getting far and way more punches were making their mark on me. This wasn't going well.

I had managed to get myself backed into a corner when i heard a small whimper. It was the little girl. She was curled up behind a rack of something where the robots couldn't reach her. It was only a matter of time before they tore it down, though. I reached out my hand without thinking and pulled her out. Clutching her in my arms, I jumped up and spread my wings using the rack to push me into the air. The hallway was pretty good size and had a window large enough for me to fly through. I closed my eyes and hurled myself full speed at the window. It fell like running head on at a wall and little glass shards were embedded in my skin but I made it out ok.

I rose up higher, to the point where I could see the whole building. No one else had come out yet, and I wasn't sure what to do. The girl peeked open one of her eyes.

"Where Fri-fri and Fally and Quemy and Spikey?" Those must be the others.

"They'll be out in a minute, they're just getting the bad guys."

"O-tay." She seemed satisfied with that answer.

"What's your name?" I asked.

"Chibi." It fit her perfectly. I noticed that she was wearing a collar. In fact, all of them except for the blonde had had collars. I looked closer. It had an old fashioned lock on it. Well, this gave me something to do while I waited for the flock. Keeping one arm around Chibi, I reached up and pulled a bobby pin out of my hair and started wiggling it around in the lock. All the while worrying about the others.

* * *

**Fierce POV**

Why does nothing ever go right? I figured we could just knock out a few whitecoats and jump out a window. But that would be too easy, right? So now we were facing about 500 new and improved 5.0s who were blocking the only way out. I felt the tips of claws poke out of my fingers. I really hoped those other kids could fight, or else we'd all be in cages within a minute. The 5.0s all surged forward at once and mind faded away to only one thought.

_Escape._

I didn't plan on going back to my cage this time. I snapped the head off a 5.0 with a well place kick. My nose wrinkled in disgust a the mass of wires and gooey stuff that splatter everywhere. I'd barely finished the first one when another one sprung at me. Fights don't really go in slow motion like in the movies I've seen being watched in the staff lounge. No, in real life it's like everything is in hyper speed. You don't have time to ponder your next move it's just one thing after the next. You have to act solely on instinct. Sometime in the past 30 minutes i'd figured out that if you chopp your hand over the 5.0's head, it splits open. Messy but effective.

Somehow, I ended up outside of the Professor's office. He was standing right outside his door. Instead of looking angry or scared he looked calm. He smirked when he saw me and motioned for the 5.0s to stop fighting.

"Are you sure you don't want to take my offer? It would be much easier."

"For the millionth time, No I don't want to take your stupid offer!" He was crazy if he thought I would negotiate with him when escape was so close. Oh right, of course he was crazy. Who else but a lunatic would splice human, cat, and bird DNA?

"Your loss." He shrugged. "You'll be back, and when the time comes I'll have an offer you can't refuse." Before I had a chance to reply he clapped his hand and I was surrounded by 5.0s again.

I fought my way to the door still perplexed. _"You'll be back. . ."_ Whatever. He probably just wanted to scare me because once I got out I was NEVER coming back to this place, even if it killed me. It wasn't much longer before I reached the door. I was the last one out and everyone was hovering just above the building.

"Fri-fri!" Chibi called out. I smiled her.

"Come on, let's get out of her-" A dart flew throught the air in front of my face.

"Split up! Everyone meet up at the edge of the forest, by the big rock!" The girl who I guessed was in charge of the others yelled. They started dipping and twisting and being generally unpredictible. My guys caught on and started to do the same type of things. More darts flew up into the air. Instant pain blossomed from where a dart had pierced my foot. I could feel whatever was in the dart burning slowly through my veins. I plucked the dart out. The letters on it danced but after a few seconds I was able to make out what it said. Expiration Serum. I looked around quickly. No one else had noticed, and no one else seemed to have got hit.

I debated whether I should tell them or not. The effects were already starting to show. I had to work twice as hard just to get my wings going.

"Report?" leader-girl asked when everyone was back.

"Fine."

"Good."

"Well this one roboty thing ripped my new shirt, but I didn't get hurt too bad or anything and I didn't get hit by a dart so yeah I'm good."

"Good."

"Good."

"Good." The girl glanced over at us.

"I'm Max. Were escaped experiments too. You can stay or leave or whatever you want. If you want to stay you can come back to my mom's with us." Interesting. I'd heard the whitecoats talk about the fall of Itex and how tons of experiments had escaped from all the branches except for the one we were kept in, but that's different.

"I'm Fierce. That's Falcon, Spike, Clementine, and Chibi," I said pointing to each of them. What about her offer? Well. . . it's not like we had anywhere else to go so I guess for now we would go with them, but only until I figured out what to do.

**I was going to do a Max POV but since this took forever and I never have time to write I just left it at this.**

**Review?**


	14. Goodbye?

**Max POV**

I watched the new experiments we had freed. Fierce, the one with red hair(or cat-girl which was more appropriate due to the ears and tail) seemed to be in charge. Next to her was Falcon who was whispering to her quietly them. Spike was doing who knows what with Gazzy. Probably something involving bombs. Chibi was being fawned over by Nudge and Angel who had immediately loved her. And lastly Clementine was just sitting alone at the edge of the cave looking up at the stars. Fierce kept looking over at her but made no move toward her.

All of them had wings. I guess that's why Angel told the others to save them. Speaking of Angel, she convinced a whitecoat to handover the information on Mr. Chu's END-OF-THE-WORLD plan with no fight. According to the papers, they had created a serum that makes you pretty much invincible. They were working on a serum to turn you to their side and they already had an operation that would.

As if saving the world wasn't hard enough already.

* * *

"Alright everybody up!" This was met with grumbles and complaints. Maybe because it was 4 am still technically night time, but I didn't think it was safe to stay this close to Itex. Plus if we left now we could make it back to Mom's house by mid-afternoon. I took off first, knowing that everyone else would follow. We could stop for breakfast later when I was sure we were far enough away so we wouldn't get caught.

* * *

**Fierce POV**

It says something about how great your life is when your first thought in the morning is "I'm not dead yet?" emphasis on the yet. Yes, I wasn't dead yet. As for how long that would last, I wasn't sure. Days? Hours? Minutes? Maybe something went wrong with the expiration stuff and I'd live however long I had originally been programed to. But for now I wasn't going to worry about that.

Max was already up and jumping out of the cave. I stood up and the world swirled around me. I stumbled forward a few steps and fell down on my knees. Ok so obviously the dart was working.

"What's wrong?" Falcon pulled me up so I was leaning on him. I took a few seconds and waited for everything to stop spinning before I answered.

"Nothing. I just stood up too fast. Head-rush," I said, pulling away. He opened his mouth to argue but I interrupted him. "I'm fine I swear."

Before he could answer I jumped out of the cave and spread my wings as if to prove my point._Okay up down up down_. Every beat of my wings was a strain. I didn't want to land though because if I stopped I don't think I could start again. I tried to keep my mind off these types of thoughts, I didn't want the little one to read my mind.

Two hours. Still flying.

Four hours. Max hadn't deemed it safe to stop to eat, so granola bars were passed I around. I crumbled mine up and dropped the pieces when no one was looking.

Six hours. I was about to pass out from exhaustion but I kept going only because I knew I wouldn't have to much longer. I could feel my heart beating slower and slower. Breathing was harder. A few minutes ago I had felt the date appearing on my neck. I felt bad dying like this with no warning. Just falling out of sky, ruining the happiness of escape. Hopefully I wouldn't land on some poor innocent person.

The moment my wings stopped working I closed my eyes. If I was still alive when I hit the ground, I didn't to see it.

I could hear shouting, but I couldn't pick out individual voices. Two arms grabbed me and pulled me up. I cracked an eye open.

"Falcon?" my voice was no more than a whisper. "I'm sorry." In that moment it seemed the most important thing in the world that I tell him I was sorry. Sorry I was ruining the escape. Sorry I didn't tell him I was dying. Sorry I never told him I loved him.

He looked confused.

"About what?" But I couldn't answer him and the world went black.

**Gasp! What happens next? Don't worry I don't kill characters.**

**Just a reminder, review. Thank-you to Rainbow. Wings who reviews practically every chapter. But for those of you who read but don't review, think of it as a Christmas/Hanukkah/whatever-else-you-celebrate present. If I get 3 reviews, I'll try to find time to post before I leave for family Christmas in New York. **


	15. Falcon

**Grr I got stuck in New York for two more days because it was snowing in Chicago. And the best part? It barely snows a few inches while I'm there but as soon as I get home, my aunt calls to say there's a blizzard. :l Of course.**

**Third person POV**

Falcon saw her fall first. He'd kept an eye on Fierce all day since she'd practically fainted this morning. It was obvious, to him at least, that something was wrong. She kept falling slightly behind and she'd been slowly sinking lower in the past 10 minutes.

So when she completely stopped flapping and started plummeting towards the ground, he was somewhat prepared to swoop down and catch her. He could hear the mingled shouts of the "flock" as they called themselves and his own little group as he grabbed her and started rising back up to where everyone else was.

"Falcon?" He leaned his head closer to hear her. "I'm sorry." That suprised him. He'd expected her to demand he let go, claiming she was fine when she oh so obviously wasn't, but she goes and says she's sorry.

"About what?" A stupid question, he should've asked what's wrong even if she most likely wouldn't tell him. But she pasted out before he could get his answer. And as the wind swept her hair off the back of her neck he saw why.

_December 13, 2009 1:34 PM X19B_

God he was so stupid. Why did he believe her this morning? Well not so much believing as giving in, but either way he had know something was wrong. And he'd let it go, gone along with her insistence she was fine.

"Goddamnit Fierce, your not supposed to die!" He whispered. What really got him was the fact that she'd tempted the whitecoats numerous times with each new thing she destroyed and received nearly every imaginable punishment short of flat out killing her, but the thing that finally killed her was a lousy expiration date. Guess they always won in the end.

"She's expiring," he said flatly. That stopped all the commotion. Clementine finally broke the silence.

"That's impossible. Someone would have noticed the date sooner."

"Here, look," he growled. Clementine swooped down to look at the deadly date stamped on the back of Fierce's neck. Realization crossed her features.

"X19B. It's a drug, causes early expiration. There's a way to reverse the effects, given your not already dead." Falcon didn't question how she knew this. Experience? Possibly. Clementine knew a lot about what went on at the Academy, more than anyone, even Fierce.

"Well?" She blinked what looked like the beginings of tears out of her eyes.

"It's an antidote only the whitecoats have it. If we go back there we all die. I'm sorry." No, it wasn't possible. To have the cure so close, but to get it what certain death. Either way, she was dead.

"Jeb was a whitecoat. Maybe he has it." The leader, Max that was her name, said, "He's at my mom's house." Falcon didn't notice the slight look of disgust that crossed her features. he didn't say anything, just took off in the direction they'd been heading.

_Please don't let it be too late._

_

* * *

_Jeb was pissing him off. With his superior tone of voice and his treating of Fierce as a science exhibit he was really getting on Falcon's nerves.

"Remarkable, just remarkable," he said while rubbing one of Fierce's ears between his fingers. "How did they manage to put both feline and avian genes into it without complete disaster?" Falcon narrowed his eyes. He'd made sure not to mention he was part dog, golden retriever to be exact, but you couldn't tell unless you knew. He didn't have dog ears or a tail, no sharp teeth, just very slightly pointed kanines. His hair and wings really showed though. Both were a shade of golden red exactly like a golden's coat.

Falcon cleared his throat pointedly.

"Ah, yes. Give her an hour if she wakes up great, if she doesn't she'll stay in a coma for good. Fifty-fifty chance."

"That's it? I thought that crap you had was the antidote!"

"Well if you had got here sooner it would be 100% working, but given we only had three minutes the chances of survival aren't definite." With that Jeb turned and left the room. Falcon let out a breath and began pacing the room. At 57 minutes he was ready to kill himself. He never truly understood how Clementine was so depressed. Right after her disastrous escape attempt she'd been practically dead. All the life seemed to have beensucked out of her. Now he knew how it felt, like losing a part of your soul. The part of your soul that meant something. The part that kept you alive when you were starved and in pain locked in a dog cage.

At fifty eight minutes and twenty three seconds, he breathed a sigh of relief.


	16. Total

**Fierce POV**

Huh. The afterlife looked a lot different then I thought it would. Then again, I'd never really believed in the heaven with fluffy white clouds and angels laying harps. From what I could see, it looked like a bedroom. Or what I assume one looks like considering I've never had one. I sat up and looked around.

"Thank God, your awake." Um if I was dead what was Falcon doing here?

"Huh?" Was my oh so brilliant response. "Didn't I die?" He frowned at me.

"Almost. What were you thinking!? I thought you were dead! Why didn't you tell anybody? God you can be such an idiot."

"I didn't want anyone to worry," I whispered. His face softened.

"I know. It's just, I can't lose you I can't lose you okay? So please-" He broke off as Chibi ran into the room. All my breath left in a whoosh as she jumped on top of me and hugged me.

"Fri-fri! You all better now?" I smiled. You just had to love her. Even when she interupted your slightly cheesy sentimental mushy moment.

"Yes I'm all better now." Nudge and Angel were watching from the door way.

"Look it! Nudgie and Angey gave me piggy-tails!" She told me excitedly while pointing to her hair. Aw she looked adorable.

"Wow! You look really pretty!" She giggled and beamed causing my heart to melt. Seeing her laugh was so nice. Living in the Academy she'd known far more pain and terror than any child should ever have to experience. But at least she would have a chance at normal life now. Most likely she would forget those first two years. Other than a few scars and the wings she would be completely normal.

I wish I could say the same for the rest of us.

Spike probably would be okay. He was old enough to remember but still young enough to start right over. Falcon, Clementine, and I, though, we'd never be normal. Not even semi-normal. I mean, God I have freaking cat ears and a tail. I can't even go out in public let alone go to school or the mall or whatever else normal kids do.

My stomach grumbled pulling me out of my gloomy thoughts.

"Is there any way I could get some food?" Hmmm. . . depending on how long I'd been out it'd been about a day since I'd last eaten. Falcon laughed. Chibi perked up and mentioned something about cookies. She jumped off my lap and started tugging. I stood wincing at the pain and general weakness I felt. I shook my head when Falcon made a move to help me. He ignored me and grabbed my arm pretending not to notice as I glared at him.

Chibi bounced down the stairs and skipped into the kitchen. I inhaled deeply. What was that delicious smell? Sitting on the counter was a plate of warm chocolate chip cookies.

"They're just out of the oven. You might want to hurry up and eat some before Max gets to them." I turned to see a woman in her late thirties drying her hands on a dish towel. "Hi, I'm Max's mom, Dr. Martinez." She stuck her hand out and I hesitantly shook it. She grabbed two cookies from the plate and handed them to Chibi who was trying to fly up on the counter. I took a cookie off the plate and bit into it.

"Ohmihfgood thiph ess so ghoof!" I mumbled while still devouring the cookie. I grabbed five more before Falcon dragged me out of the kitchen.

"Come on, you've been requested for Max-interrogation." He rolled his eyes.

"Don't I get a break for almost dying?" I asked.

"Nope. We had to deal with it and so do you. Besides the creepy Voice thing says you know something important."

"Well that's great to know," I said sarcastically. "Would it care to tell me what I know?" He shrugged. We found Max in the upstairs living room watching TV with Fang, Iggy, Misty, and Clementine. Gazzy was showing Spike something involving a mass of wires. Nudge was styling Angel's hair. Max stood up and motioned for me to follow her.

Once in her room she sat down on the bed and motioned for me to take the chair.

"So can we just get this over with because I'd really like to spend my freedom not thinking about the hell-hole." She nodded.

"I get it. If I could I would disappear and never think about the School again. Unfortunately I have to save the world from Itex. Not only for the world, but to make sure none of my family ever has to undergo that torture again." I nodded, I understood. I would give up myself to make sure my family never saw that place again. (Unless they were blowing it up.)"What do you know about the Sharp serum?"

"It makes you stronger, and faster, and just basicly enhances you way beyond the basic mutant. They give you some sort of brain operation with it so that your on side. But they only use it on certain experiments." _Like me._ I added in my head.

"And the Academy?"

"It's part school, like a normal one. They teach all the future Itex scientist. It has a flawless mind-wipe system that guarantees the scientists never remember anything about it, yet still keep the lessons they've learned. The students and experiments are kept separate. Other than the kids it's just your basic Itex illegal hell-hole. It's run by the Professor who works for Mr. Chu. They operate separately from Itex, but they're still technically part of Itex. Anything else?" Max sighed.

"No. But bringing this last Itex down is going to be alot harder than I thought. But if we don't bring this place down, we'll never win." And if the flock didn't bring down Itex down then the world wasn't going to be a pretty place. Sure, they had failed with their first plan, but who could say they wouldn't come up with something else? And given time, all the other Itex branches would be resurrected unless someone stopped it.

And if that happened, screw normal life we would have to go into hiding for good.

At that moment I was finally convinced that staying with the flock was what we need to do. I looked up at Max.

"If it's alright, I'd like to help you." I was unsure of what her reaction would be.

"That would be great," she smiled. Just as quickly she narrowed her eyes, "But just so we're clear, I'm in charge. You can still run your group, but when it comes to big things what I say goes, got it?" I rolled my eyes.

"Don't worry I'm not gonna steal your job as leader. I have other thing to worry about besides who I'm bossing around. Now if you don't mind I'm going to go enjoy the rest of my first day of relaxation." She stood up and waved me out of the room before walking off.

* * *

After a delicious dinner of tacos, we ended up in the living room watching some movie the little kids picked out. It was one of those movies that only younger kids like. Halfway through I was about to keel over from boredom. I poked Falcon to get his attention as he was staring off into space.

"I'm gonna go get something to eat. Want anything?" He shook his head no. I stood up and walked into the kitchen taking care not to walk in front of anyone.

Ugh what was that smell? The kitchen smelled like a wet dog. I looked down to see if anything had been spilled on the floor only to find a large malamute and a scottie laying down on the floor.

If there is one thing I hate, it's dogs. I can't stand the things. They're anoying, smelly, and their barking drives me up the wall. (Yes I know Falcon is part dog but that's different. I grew up with him, I know him.)*****

The malamute immediately stood up and started barking at me. I rolled my eyes.

"Shut-up. I'm not doing anything." See what I mean? The random barking? At this the scottie seemed to almost glare at me.

"Don't talk to her like that!" I have to admit, I was shocked, though I was careful to hide it. Ignoring the still barking malamute and the annoying scottie, I started rummaging through the pantry for something to eat. "Excuse me, I'm talking to you!" My lip curled back into disgust. Whose idea was it to save the talking dog? Because I just knew this dog had to have come from Itex. Where else would you get a talking scottie?

I turned around and glared at the dog who was glaring right back at me.

"Apologize to Akila for talking to her like that. I know cats are rude, but you have no right to be rude to us." I rolled my eyes.

"Whatever. I'm just going to get something to eat then you can go back to sniffing each other's butts or whatever." At this his jaw dropped open. He looked indignant.

"Only unsophisticated mutts would ever sink that low. At least we don't lick our butts." Oh that was it I'd had enough of this dog.

"You know what? I am above arguing with someone's pet and by the way, I've seen plenty of dogs lick their butts, and I've never done that." I stomped over to the freezer and opened it. I'd only recently discovered the wonder that was icecream, and by recently I mean this afternoon. I grabbed an icecream bar and was about to go back to the stab-my-eyes-out-with-a-fork movie when I stepped on the malamute's paw (who by the way STILL hadn't stopped barking) causing it excuse me I mean AKILA to surge forward and trip me.

Right into Falcon.

"Tripping over the dog, graceful." I blushed.

"Shut-up!" I smiled and whacked him playfully. The malamute had finally stopped barking, probably due to the icecream she was licking off the floor. I groaned and leaned more into Falcon. "Stupid dog she trips me AND takes my icecream."

"Let me guess, your more upset about the icecream?"

"You bet." We fell silent, but he didn't let go and I made no move to leave. At least five minutes had gone by when someone cleared their throat. I jumped back blushing like mad only to see the scottie smirking at me.

"Oh I'm sorry did I inturupt anything?" I glared at him. That dog was going to go to sleep one night and not wake up the next morning.

_Hey!_ Aw crap I forgot the little one read minds.

_Is he your dog? _I mentally asked.

_Yes. I rescued him. . . your not really going to kill Total are you?_

_No, of course not. _Well there goes that plan. Not that I was really thinking about killing it, the dog just pissed me off and I'd only known him about thirty minutes. Somehow I got the feeling he wasn't going to grow on me the more time I spent with him.

"I'm going to bed," I muttered to Falcon. Total looked smug. I stumbled into the room I shared with Clementine and Misty. I flopped down on the bed and fell asleep before my head hit the pillow.

**Thanks to:maximumrideluvvver, SaraRide9, and rainbow. wings for reviews!**

**Review please!**


	17. Spying, not the best plan

**Misty POV**

"What do you think Jeb knows?"

"More than you." Cherry whisper-chirped back. I rolled my eyes. I was watching Jeb through the office window. And yes, I was croutched behind the bushes like a spy, I even had a black shirt on, purely accident but it worked. Anyway, I was waiting till Jeb left the room then I planned on climbing through the conviently opened window to a quick search of his laptop.

Unfortuionatly, that meant I had been here for almost an hour. Why was I so intent to search his laptop? Well ever since the weird conversation we had before going to the Academy, I had been wondering exactly what he knew about me. The perfect place to start: his Itex-brand laptop. Also I didn't trust jeb and his claims of not being evil. I mean, seriously, he mutated his daughter and his niece. You can't go from screwing with innocent childrens' DNA to being good and crap.

An hour and fourty seven minutes of Jeb typing later and I realized this probably wasn't my best idea. Becoming a professional spy wasn't anywhere in my future, if I had one that is.

"Okay, that's it I'm done. He's not leaving anytime soon." I crawled out of the bush and brushed the dirt off my shorts.

"Now you realized that, after we've been out here for at least three hours."

"No one said you had to come. Besides, it hasn't even been two hours yet." Cherry hmphed, anoyed that I was right. I walked through the front door. . .

. . . and ran right into Nudge holding a pair of scissors.

"There you are! Where have you been? Oh never mind, I need to get started on your hair." Oh, right, she still hadn't cut my hair.

Nudge steered me into the bathroom. "I wanted to do it in the kitchen, but Dr. M said that was too messy." I nodded. "Sit." She pointed to the edge of the bathtub. "I know exactly what I'm going to do, it's going to look perfect." Now, normally I would be scared if a twelve year old was cutting my hair, especially when they mentioned the word perfect, but I trusted Nudge. Sort of. Eh as long as it wasn't too short I could get it fixed.

One hour later I was suitibly impressed. My hair went down to just past my shoulders. Nudge had layered it and added side bangs. All in all it looked good.

"Thanks, it looks good." Nudge beamed.

"It looks even better than I expected. Now if only Max would let me style her hair." I left her pondering and headed for the living room. Nothing like good ole' TV to rot your brain cells.

* * *

The next few days passed uneventfully (Except for Monday when the toaster got blown up). By the end of the week here's how things stood:

Gazzy and Spike were banned from the kitchen. (Iggy would have been banned too but he was too good of a cook).

The Voice was mysteriously absent.

Fierce and Total wouldn't go in the same room as each other.

And everyone now had good hair because of Nudge.

Over all, things were starting to seem slightly normal. At least what I assumed was normal for a group of twelve bird kids, two humans, and three dogs all living in the same house. God forbid it would stay that way.

**Short, and it took forever sorry about that.**

**R&R Please:)**


	18. Burning

**Sorry I haven't updated in. . . over a year. I have decided not to abandon this story because I actually known where I want it to go so I've decided to make time for writing. I plan to try to update at least once a week from now on. **

**Fierce POV**

Everything changes in an instant. One moment everything is perfect and you are flying among the clouds, rejoicing and the next you are hit by rain like shards of glass, shattering the illusion. Then you realize those clouds were storm clouds, ticking bombs waiting to shatter the illusion of security.

The morning began nicely, golden sunrise, singing birds. I woke to the smell of bacon and eggs. Blinking sleep from my eyes I meandered down to the kitchen where a small crowd had already gathered in anticipation of the food.

"Good morning!" Angel smiled perkily.

"Morning." Chibi walked over and I picked her. "Good morning, you're up early today."

"Fri-fri I'm cold." Shivering, she burrowed her face into my shoulder. Her body seemed to radiate heat. A twinge of worry hit me but quickly vanished. It was nothing. Sure we mutants hardly ever get sick, but nothing says we can't.

_What about expiration?_

No. Not possible. Absolutely no freaking way. I swept her hair off the back of her neck which was already drenched in sweat. A silent breath of relief escaped my lips. Just normal disease. There are some advantages to living with a semi-doctor, even in a three bedroom house stuffed with 15 people and three dogs.

"Dr. Martinez? Could you look at Chibi? She has a fever." At this Jeb snapped his head up. I didn't like Jeb. In my personal opinion, once a whitecoat, always a whitecoat. But unfortunately he had saved my life, was related to both Max and Misty, and trusted by Dr. Martinez so we were stuck with him. Dr. Martinez rested her hand on Chibi's burning forehead.

"She defiantly has a fever, go ahead and set her down on the couch while I go get my stuff." When she was out of the room Jeb spoke up.

"How long has she been like this? What color are her eyes?" Suppressing irritation I glared at him. He had an annoying habit of poking into other peoples' business.

"Obviously she's only been sick since this morning or else someone would have noticed sooner. And-" I stopped speaking as Jeb pushed me out of the way and began examining Chibi, muttering under his breath.

"Dilated pupils, red eyes, but where are the burns?" I narrowed my eyes. What right did he have to observe her like a science experiment? "Ah, here." My eyes moved on their own accord, drawn to the spot he was pointing to. Marring the pale skin on her right ankle was a small red patch of burned and blistered skin, yet the most alarming was that the burn seemed to come from under the skin, as if a fire was branding her from inside.

_No. _Grey pooled at the edges of my vision. The burn seemed to be expanding as we watched.

_Almost two years ago, I crouch cramped in dog crate, arms straining through the bars, yet still unable to reach. I count the seconds between each breath. The seconds drag longer now, punctured by the ticking of the sterile white clock. Each second clicks by cold and unfeeling in this dark place where children die. One two three. . . forty forty-one. A single shallow breath. Only a few minutes now._

_It had started yesterday with sweat and an odd burn. A burn that seemed to radiate from the inside. Tawny's hand reaching into the cage confirmed a fever. The passing day and consequential night brought more larger burns and a temperature hot enough to hurt. The tips of Tawny's fingers glowed a faint red when pulled back into the cage. At first there had been crying, sharp wails of a child that pierced like glass. Life flowing out like blood._

_But today the room is silent. I watch, alone as each tiny movement of the infant's chest grows smaller than the last. The others are gone, taken for testing. And here we are, alone, a helpless girl and a dying infant without even a hand of comfort. He would die alone, like so many in this awful place._

_The door swung open revealing a whitecoat. He regarded me coolly and stooped to observe the baby opposite me. With a single click the lock was unlatched and the door flung open. Careful hands grasped a downy wing extending it and observing as it collapsed upon itself when released._

_"Please." A whisper of sorrow, begging the ice to have pity. The whitecoats know what is happening. I could tell from the gleeful looks on their faces when they saw the burns. The exclamations of 'it's working!' and then the disappointment when everything had slid downhill. Earlier this morning they had discussed stopping whatever was happening. The Professor said no, better to watch and study the demise. A cruel verdict placing knowledge above life. To him we are expendable, worth no more than ants crushed under foot._

_A glint of what I hoped was compassion crosses the whitecoat's face, a glimmer of melting ice. Yet as quick as it appeared it was gone; humanity vanishes in the presence of science. I throw all of my weight against my bars with the reward of a throbbing shoulder. Not an inch of movement toward the spot where the whitecoat stands. Again. No change. Another rattle, this one catches his attention and he whirls knocking my cage with his clipboard. I feel the cage smash into the floor. My body aches from the collision, but I have reached my goal._

_A single hand reaches through the bars, coming to rest on a tiny infant wrist. The scientist tries roughly to push the hand away. He is greeted with claws that slash his face. Bleeding and cursing he stumbles away, most likely to find something to punish the offending hand. _

_Less than a minute later the infant's heart stops beating. Only a single crystal tear falls, growing up in the Academy dulls emotions. But what will I do when the other one grows up. Do I tell her that her brother died because people refused to show compassion for us? That they kill because to them we are worthless?_

_Rough hands pull the child away, all care gone now that he is dead. This time I don't fight. I bang around inside my cage as I endure the kicking. In this moment I know for a fact we have to get out of here, yet I had no inkling that it would take nearly two years and two more losses for escape to come true._

"Fix her! Your the whitecoat! Don't let her die!" Not pleading, demanding, I'd learned that pleas get you nowhere with whitecoats.

"What's going on?" Max demanded. I ignored her and watched Jeb who shook his head with fake sorrow.

"I wish I could help, truly I do, but the antidote for the chemical KDFIX3F was only produced one time. That single vial, along with its ingredients, is the sole property of the Professor since he didn't want anyone to attempt to save the other experiment."

"I thought you said you didn't know anything about the Academy!" Max again. Jeb's reply was lost in the clatter of falling glass. My wings pulled desperately as I struggled to get away as fast as possible. Hugging Chibi to my chest I turned toward the Academy. By the time everyone had processed where I was going I would be long gone.

In a blur Max barreled into me.

_Damn I forgot she had super speed._

"What are you doing? If you go back there you'll just get both of you killed!" She flew around in front of me to block.

"Move."

"Be rational! You won't help anyone this way." I could understand her point, and I got it. From her side what I was doing was reckless and harmful. She needed all the help she could find to save the world and one of her allies was about to sacrifice herself for a lost cause. If I was in her place I would react the same way. But I'm not.

"What would you do if it was Angel?" This caused her to pause and I knew she understood. To her Chibi was a tragic child, one of the many poor mutants that needed saving, but to me Chibi was almost a daughter. My voice was calm, yet serious as I spoke, "I don't want to hurt you but I will if I have to." She nodded and moved to the side. "Please don't follow me. Nobody else needs to risk their life, and tell Falcon I specifically I don't want anyone to come." The distance between us grew wider as I continued forward and she turned back toward the others.

"I promise I'll save you."

**Once again, I am so very sorry for the long wait. Please continue to read!~Bambi**


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